The Rebellious Novice
by FangirlIssues31
Summary: Sixteen year old Kurosaki Ichigo hit a nun with his car and, after that, a wild ride started for him. IchiRuki. AU. Warnings inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Thank you for giving this a chance!**

**If you're one of the persons who read my stories you should probably read this warnings:**

**This story came as an inspiration from "My little genie" and while they are obviously completely unrelated I must say that MLG is my priority over this one. **

**I won't be updating this a lot, I plan to finish this year "My little genie" and "Growing up with you" so if you read those two stories don't worry, I'm working on them. **

**I like this idea A LOT but I cannot make promises about dedicating myself entirely to this one anytime soon, I uploaded it because if you guys like it, I'll do my best with this silly story. **

**I, as always, apologize for my grammar mistakes beforehand. **

**Happy reading. **

* * *

She was running as fast as she could.

Her lungs were burning but she couldn't bring herself to stop, she was almost outside the forest and it was about to get dark, she couldn't afford to be alone at night, she needed to reach the city or the beach, it didn't matter. She needed help urgently. Forcing her legs to go faster she reached the edge of the forest, she was about to smile victorious but she never got the chance, she didn't know that at the end of the forest was a cliff, she gasped and tried to grab something to stop her fall but it was too late.

She fell violently and everything went dark before she could even scream.

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo was driving as fast as he could.

He was late to dinner and his father, being the dramatic jerk he was, was going to make a scandal out of it. The orange haired teenager cursed under his breath, it wasn't his fault, it was Byakuya who sent him to deliver some important documents outside the city and while he appreciated the trust his boss put into him he couldn't believe how uncaring he was, Ichigo didn't have a driver's license yet, he was too young. Well, apparently the Kuchiki heir didn't care about Ichigo's problem, all he cared about was his efficiency in delivering the documents and luckily he delivered them on time so his job was safe for now.

He sighed and accelerated, going outside Karakura always came with lots of difficulties because the roads were tricky, not to mention that he had to drive near the beach and the traffic was a nightmare around that zone, thinking about that he took a shortcut, it was a lonely road next to some cliffs but it didn't matter, he wanted to avoid the policemen and he knew no one would take this road.

Once he realized there were no other cars near him he relaxed, he could still make it on time.

It was then when it happened.

He didn't know how but something or someone fell from the cliffs and he hit that person with the car before he or she could reach the floor, he hit the brakes immediately but it was too late, he could tell that he had hit whoever had fell from the cliff.

He started to think, could it be that someone tried to commit suicide? Could it be that someone was trying to get rid of a body? Was he so damn unlucky that he had killed some crazy asshole that for some reason wanted to enjoy the view from the cliff? His heart was beating hard on his chest and for a minute it felt as if the world had stopped spinning.

He couldn't call the police.

Without the license they would take him along with the car, not to mention that there were no witnesses so he couldn't prove that the person fell from the cliff, instead they would blame him, there was no way. Besides, policemen always gave him a hard time because of his hair and his permanent scowl.

"Fuck" he said aloud and letting out the air he didn't know he was holding.

With trembling hands he get off the car and ran towards the probably deceased person.

"Please" he said under his breath "please God, if you really exist let this one be alive, I cannot go to jail" he wasn't used to praying but he supposed that it a lame prayer was better than no prayer at all.

He kneeled down next to the body and the first thing that he noticed it was that it was completely dressed in black, it looked like a huge dress with an apron, a veil and a cross.

He paused.

"No" he said aloud "I killed a nun?!"

He took the veil off her face and his eyes widened, this nun was gorgeous. Pale skin, button like nose, she couldn't be older than him, if anything she was younger. He gulped and checked the pulse.

He gasped.

She was alive! He wasn't a murderer!

He picked her up bridal style, he was glad to see that there was no blood anywhere but it was obvious that she was hurt. He ran towards the car and lay her carefully on the backseat. Collecting his thoughts he got to the conclusion that he wasn't going to make it to dinner in time, so he grabbed his cellphone and sent a message to his father, after that he took a deep breath and decided to drive towards his best friend's house.

* * *

**From:** _Useless son._

_"Hey dad, I won't be able to make it to dinner. The traffic is crazy and Renji says he needs my help with something, don't wait for me, I'll tell you how everything went tomorrow._"

Kurosaki Isshin sighed.

Well, at least the boy was responsible enough to let him know.

* * *

When Renji heard the doorbell he knew that Ichigo was the one who was at the door. The orange haired loser was the only one who always showed up unannounced, pausing his videogame and sighing heavily he walked towards the door. He thought about waiting for a few minutes to make the bastard suffer but, considering the hour, the visit was probably because of something important, the last time Ichigo showed up in the middle of the night it was because he had a fight with his father, so Without even asking who was ringing at this unholy hour he opened the door.

His eyes widened at the sight of Ichigo carrying a nun.

"What the…?!" Renji was about to ask but Ichigo's angry look shut him up.

Renji took a step aside and once Ichigo stepped into the apartment, Renji closed the door behind him. He was glad that he didn't have nosy neighbors otherwise he wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Okay" Renji said carefully "I don't know what happened but please tell me that she's alive."

Ichigo looked at his redheaded best friend and nodded.

"Explain" Renji said while walking towards his room.

Ichigo lay the nun carefully on Renji's bed and turned to see him but he couldn't say anything. He sat down on the edge of the bed and hid his face on his hands. Renji approached him and patted him on the back twice, Ichigo wouldn't admit it but that little gesture helped him a lot. Before he could process everything, he told Renji the complete story, he accelerating Byakuya's car, hitting the crazy or suicidal nun with the car and how he couldn't think about what else to do or where else to go.

"What am I supposed to do?!" Ichigo asked desperately once he let the whole thing out of his system.

"Leave her on your father's hospital, someone will eventually show up to pick her up." Renji said wisely "is not as if you can treat her here!"

"What if she has lost her memory?!" Ichigo asked "what if they send her to some unknown place full of crazy people?!"

Renji looked at the girl.

She looked fine.

"Let's wait for her to wake up" Renji suggested "once she does, we'll explain everything to her and we'll help her."

Ichigo gulped.

"Hopefully she won't sue me."

"I don't think nuns know how to sue someone" Renji said "come on, you need something to eat."

* * *

Rukia groaned.

Her whole body ached and she didn't know why. Closing her eyes tightly she tried to remember what happened to her, the day had begun quite normally, the usual prayers and then breakfast and as time went on she kept replaying all the details of her escape plan which succeeded until she got to the edge of the forest where she fell and…

She gasped and sat down immediately.

With widened eyes she looked around and noticed how she was in an unknown room that didn't smell very sanitary. She checked herself and noticed how she didn't have any broken bones and her garments were still on so she guessed that no one touched her or hurt her.

She gulped.

Someone probably found her when she fell from the cliff. She stood up and decided to leave the room, she didn't know what time it was but obviously the people from the convent would be already looking for her. With trembling hands she opened the door and peeked outside, there was nothing but an empty hallway, she could tell she was inside a tiny apartment.

She blinked. Was she already in the city?

"I'm telling you Renji, she fell out of nowhere I swear to you that if she doesn't wake up…"

"Ichigo, she'll wake up, just give her time."

Her eyes widened. They were obviously talking about her, apparently someone called Ichigo had helped her.

"What if I made permanent damage? I could go to jail or worst, to hell."

Rukia frowned and followed the sound of the voices.

* * *

"Didn't take you as a religious one." Renji said smirking and Ichigo glared at him.

He was about to tell him how he wasn't an atheist but he couldn't talk, once he saw the girl stepping into the dining room words failed him. She was walking, that was a good sign but still, she looked pissed. Ichigo and Renji stood up immediately at the sight of her.

"Which one of you is Ichigo?" She asked and Ichigo thought that her voice was quite peculiar.

Renji pointed at him.

"You were the one who helped me?" she asked.

Ichigo nodded but didn't speak. As he observed her he noticed that her eyes were gorgeous, she had violet eyes, he had never seen that eye color. Hell, he wondered if she was wearing contacts, he couldn't take his eyes off her face, were nuns really that pretty?

"Where am I?" she asked and Renji, after noticing Ichigo's idiotic stare, decided to answer.

"You're in Karakura town" he told her and Ichigo noticed how her eyes widened at that "My name is Abarai Renji, the orange haired idiot brought you to my apartment."

"Was anyone following me? Did you see someone?" she asked Ichigo and he shook his head.

"Why?" Renji asked "is someone looking for you?"

She shrugged.

"Hopefully not" she said "I escaped for a reason after all."

Ichigo gaped, her final statement settled on his head and he felt as if a bucket of cold water had fell on him.

"You what?!" he finally asked "you escaped?! From where exactly?!"

Rukia looked at the orange haired boy and frowned, he was loud and had quite the scowl on his face. She wasn't sure if she could trust him, but he had helped her and she supposed that she owed him an explanation, she didn't have to tell him everything.

"I escaped from the convent" she said "although I was lucky enough to fall from the cliff because…"

"_Lucky?_" Ichigo asked aghast "Idiot! I almost had a heart attack, I thought I killed you!"

Rukia glared at him.

"Well, sorry is not as if I planned to fall from there." She said crossing her arms.

"You're sorry?! I hit you with my boss's car, if I had killed you he would've been involved, I cannot even begin to explain how awful that would've been."

Rukia tilted her head confused.

"Boss? How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen" he said "but my father gave me authorization to" he paused "you know what? Never mind, I shouldn't be explaining myself to a stranger, what's your name anyway?"

"My name's Rukia" she answered "and yes, you're right, you shouldn't explain yourself to a stranger but you hit me with your car."

"Boss's car" Ichigo corrected her.

"Therefore you're going to help me, carrot top" she said smirking.

Ichigo chuckled sarcastically.

"Help you? After you almost made me had a panic attack? Hell no, I don't even know you, why should I help you?"

Rukia grabbed her head then and she winced dramatically.

"My head hurts" she said and then leaned against the wall "now I'm all alone in the outside world, my head and my body aches, the principal is probably already looking for me."

Ichigo frowned.

"I'm not falling for that trick" he said angrily "go look for the closest church, you might find someone to help you there."

Rukia frowned at that. She approached Ichigo decisively and kicked him on the shins, the orange haired boy doubled in pain and Rukia pulled his hair painfully. Renji was shocked to see a nun acting so violently so he didn't interfere, he didn't want to get hurt too.

"What the fuck?!" Ichigo asked.

"Listen here, idiot." She said "I escaped and I'm not going back, you'll help me to get on my feet and you'll teach me how to fend for myself."

"And if I refuse?!" he asked looking at her sort of scared.

"I'm going to the nearest police station to tell them how you hit me with your car and brought me to this tiny, dirty apartment instead of taking me to a hospital like any decent man would."

"Hey" Renji said offended "this apartment is not dirty!"

"So, make a choice." Rukia ordered and Ichigo sneered at her.

He would have to help her.

* * *

An expensive black car parked outside the convent.

"Sir" the chauffer said while opening the door for his bosses "we've arrived."

Kuchiki Soujun stepped out of the car along with his son Kuchiki Byakuya. The young novice that was sent to greet the guests blushed at the sight of them and quietly guided them towards the Principal office, both men ignored her nervous staring.

"I never understood your decision of leaving my favorite granddaughter in here" Soujun commented while walking next to Byakuya and admiring the hallways. The convent had quite the gothic style and it looked as if it belonged to a horror movie, the walls looked ancient and the fact that the place was crowded with nuns gave Soujun quite a nasty feeling.

"Rukia is your only granddaughter" Byakuya replied coldly.

"Fine, let me rephrase my question" Soujun said unaffected by his son's coldness "why would you leave your only daughter in a place like this?"

"I already explained" he said dodging the question "I'm surprised that you decided to come today."

Soujun shrugged.

"I haven't seen her in ages, besides I promised Ginrei that I would make sure she was okay."

"She's living with nuns" Byakuya said "this is the safest place on earth, grandfather always exaggerates when it comes to Rukia."

"You cannot blame him" Soujun said "the only heiress of our clan, living with nuns, I think it's time for you to finally get her out of here."

Byakuya sighed and refrained from uttering another word, once they reached the principal office the young novice left the room.

"Oh sweet God" the Principal, who was an old woman with a mean smile, greeted them "it's so good to see you, Lord Kuchiki."

Both men nodded.

"May I ask the reason behind your visit? We're honored of course but all of our young novices are quite busy at the moment, Rukia is not an exception."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"We've come because as I stated the last month I think it's time for her to go back and live with us" he said "you were, of course, informed about this."

The old nun in front of him never stopped smiling.

"Of course" she said "but it's so sudden, I don't think Rukia wants to leave this place."

This time Soujun was the one who looked at the old nun incredulously.

"Rukia has sent us several letters begging us to get her out of here" he said "I thought that lying was a sin."

The woman's smile faltered for a second.

"She's really special" she said.

"Oh, we're aware" Soujun said "are your bringing here anytime soon? We've quite a busy schedule."

"Oh" the nun said "such busy business men as you cannot wait much longer I understand, which is why I must ask you to leave sweet Rukia with us for another couple of months, I don't want to imagine her living alone in a mansion like yours."

Byakuya frowned.

"Is none of your business" he said "but I've taken my position inside our enterprise since my grandfather already retired, Rukia will not be alone, Ginrei Kuchiki is anxiously waiting for her return."

The old nun was about to speak again but a young novice burst inside the office with a frantic expression.

"We already searched the whole convent, she's nowhere to be found, nothing was found in the forest either, Kuchiki Rukia escaped leaving no traces behind her."

Soujun's eyes widened and Byakuya looked angrily at the Principal.

"Were you planning on informing us about this? Or perhaps were you asking for another couple of months with Rukia so you could find her?"

The woman paled.

She hoped that Kuchiki Rukia was okay otherwise they would be hell to pay.

* * *

**What do you think? Is it worth a review? Let me know, kisses. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

* * *

Ichigo stepped into his house at midnight.

He couldn't believe the predicament he was in, still he knew what he had to do. Without turning on the lights he walked towards his room as quietly as he could, he was glad that his dad didn't wait for him otherwise he would've noticed Ichigo's worried expression. He gulped, he didn't know how he was going to hide what he was doing, but hopefully no one would notice.

Once he stepped into his room he turned on the light and ran to open the window. Rukia stepped then into the room, with difficulty because of the garments she was wearing, and smiled at him.

"Carrot top" she said while looking around his room with curiosity "this looks way better than Renji's room."

Ichigo frowned.

"Keep it down" he told her "my sisters are sleeping in the other room."

Her eyes widened.

"Oh" she said "how many sisters do you have?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"I think I underestimated you" he said "you literally let a stranger bring you to his home, are you crazy?"

Rukia chuckled.

"Well, you helped me" she reasoned "if you wanted to kill me you would've done it on the way here."

Ichigo sighed.

"Fine" he said "since we'll be spending a few days together I think we need to get to know each other, stay here, I'll bring you some clothes."

Rukia nodded happily.

* * *

"Repeat that" Kuchiki Ginrei ordered and Byakuya fought the urge to groan.

"Rukia escaped from the convent a few hours ago." He said and he noticed how his grandfather's expression changed from anger towards distress in a matter of seconds.

"How did she do it?" Ginrei asked quietly while closing his eyes.

Soujun and Byakuya exchanged a quiet glance. After threatening the Principal and leaving the convent they decided to wait to break the news on Ginrei, he had just recovered from an illness and that was one of the reasons why they wanted Rukia back, Ginrei wanted to spend his retirement in the company of his only granddaughter, unfortunately luck wasn't on their side because once they stepped into the mansion again Ginrei was waiting for them and Rukia.

"No one knows" Soujun answered "all she left was her novice uniform, there were no notes, her bed was neatly made and no one saw anything."

Ginrei sighed heavily.

"I see" he said.

"She was informed that we would pick her up today" Byakuya said "she's obviously avoiding us."

"Oh no" Ginrei said while looking angrily at his grandson "she's avoiding you, she's probably afraid that you'll keep the ridiculous promise that you made her the night you left her in that dreadful place."

"That was a lie" Byakuya excused himself "she's not an idiot…"

"She was a twelve year old girl!" Ginrei said, his anger getting worse by every second "you're her father! I tried to stop you but you never listen! Now look what your silly decision brought! Rukia, our fifteen year old Rukia, alone in the city! The situation is bad enough for common girls, is not like Karakura is the safest city on earth after all, but can you imagine if someone were to discover who she is?!"

Byakuya looked aside.

He didn't like to see his grandfather upset over his mistakes.

"No one knows Rukia" Soujun said calmly "as far as everyone's concerned, Byakuya's daughter is studying overseas, the rival companies and the press none of them knows who Rukia is."

Ginrei nodded.

"That's true" he said "but anyone who knew Hisana-san will recognize Rukia immediately, so we have to find her before anyone else does."

Byakuya nodded.

"She's clever and reckless" Ginrei said smiling fondly "hopefully she'll be okay until we find her."

Soujun smiled at that.

"She will be" he said "who knows? Perhaps she's scared right now, she might look for a way to call us."

Byakuya doubted it but he refrained from speaking.

* * *

"So, tell me your story" Ichigo said while handing Rukia some pajamas and a sundress "a nun does not fall from a cliff very often."

Rukia shrugged and took the clothes.

"I'll tell you" she said "but you should tell me yours first, is polite to do so."

Ichigo took a seat on his desk chair and nodded.

"Well, my name is Kurosaki Ichigo" he said while closing his eyes, he supposed that she took that moment to change because he could hear her taking off her clothes "I'm sixteen years old, my father is a doctor and I have two younger sisters, they are fraternal twins by the way, I study at Seireitei High School and Renji is my best friend."

"You mentioned something about work, where do you work?" she asked.

Ichigo could still hear her moving her clothes so he didn't open his eyes.

"Well, one of my father's friends is the CEO of an important enterprise" he explained "I've always admired him so when I turned fifteen I asked him to teach me about his work, he's a lawyer but his family has lots of other business, either way he took me under his wing and I've been working for him for a year now."

"He sounds like someone important." She pointed out.

"He is" Ichigo assured her "he's also a stuck up bastard but he gets along quite well with my dad, so he's not that bad."

"You can open your eyes now." She told him and he did so.

His eyes widened when he saw her wearing Yuzu's pajamas.

Now that she wasn't wearing the veil he could admire her pointy raven hair, it accentuated her unique eyes quite well, he also noticed how skinny she was. He supposed that the nun garments made her look bigger because now she looked like a midget to him.

He blinked.

He thought she was really pretty.

"Well" he said when he was done staring at her "that's my story, what's yours?"

She took a seat on his bed. She wanted to ask him about some things he didn't say, like her boss's name and why he didn't mention his mother when talking about his family but she supposed that for now it was okay.

"My name is Rukia" she said "I'm fifteen years old."

Ichigo crossed his arms.

"What's your last name?" he asked.

She shrugged.

"It's not important." She said dodging his question.

He let it aside, he could always ask her later.

"How long were you inside the convent?"

"My father left me there when I was twelve and before that I was home schooled so I, unlike you, don't know how normal schools work."

Ichigo was starting to feel a little bad for her, he couldn't imagine not having friends and then been locked up in some depressing old place.

"Why would your father do that?"

"He told me, and I swear to you I'm not lying, that it was the best for me and that he would come back for me once he had found a nice husband that would take care of me."

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"What the fuck?" he asked offended "what kind of sick asshole does that?"

She nodded.

"I know" she said "that's why I escaped, he sent me a letter a month ago saying that it was time for me to go back and live with the family, I panicked so I planned the whole escape thing."

Ichigo blinked.

"Falling off the cliff was not in the whole plan though." She added with a smile "I'm an only child, I love animals, I hated every second inside the convent and now that I'm finally free I'm ready to learn to live like a normal girl."

_Well, it makes sense_ he thought.

"So, what are we going to do?" she asked him "where do we start?"

Ichigo sighed.

"Wait a minute" he said "I need more information, is there any way your father might track you here? Should I be worried about that?"

"Not at all" he assured him "I didn't have friends inside the convent so I didn't tell anyone and hopefully he won't find time inside his tight schedule to look for me."

"Okay" he said cautiously "what about your mom?"

"She died when I was little" she said.

"I'm…"

"Don't be sorry" she interrupted him "I barely remember her."

"Okay" he said "now midget, we should get some sleep, tomorrow is Saturday so we'll figure out how to get you a life once the sun is out."

She smiled at him thankfully.

Ichigo looked aside, he didn't know why he liked her smile so much.

* * *

Kurosaki Isshin decided that it was time to wake his only son once the first rays of sun sneaked through his window. Smiling he went upstairs and without knocking on the door he stepped into the room.

"ICHIGO!" he yelled and jumped on the bed, only to find it empty.

His eyes widened. He was sure that Ichigo had come back yesterday, he heard him parking outside and he heard him moving some things around his room at midnight. So where was he? He looked at the empty bed and found a note, frowning he read it.

"_Old man, don't destroy my neatly made bed. I went to deliver the car to Byakuya along with my reports from yesterday, I'll be outside most of the day, Renji needs my help with something. Don't wait for me." _

Isshin blinked.

That was odd.

* * *

Rukia sank into the leather seat comfortably.

She was wearing a blue sundress and white sandals, it was so different from the novice uniform that she found herself smiling and enjoying the freedom the dress gave her. She looked at the city passing by from the car window, Ichigo had told her how he needed to give something to his boss so they woke up early, way too early for her liking. Still, she thought that it was for the best because it gave them more time to look around the city and she would be able to learn more things.

Ichigo looked from the corner of his eye to the weird girl.

He couldn't sleep thinking about what sort of problems she would bring him, he woke her up before sunrise so she could take a bath and get ready. He didn't want to imagine what his father would say if he were to see her, leaving a note was the safest route and besides he didn't lie, he needed to see Byakuya before he started to ask where his precious car was.

Ichigo huffed.

The Kuchikis had more cars but Byakuya liked this one for some stupid reason, the fact that he had hit a young novice with it made Ichigo believed that God hated him. He looked at the girl again and noticed how she was frowning.

"Ichigo" she said "I'm hungry."

Ichigo stopped at a red light.

"Well, sorry" he said "but if I don't deliver the reports on time, By-"

"Yeah, your boss will fire you" she said "stop talking about him, can't we go to a fast food restaurant? I cannot remember the last time I had a hamburger."

"You're not having hamburger for breakfast" Ichigo said and checked the clock "okay, I think we can grab breakfast on the way, we still have some time."

Rukia smiled.

"Great!"

* * *

Byakuya looked at the clock and frowned.

Every second, every hour counted and up until today there were no news. No one had seen anyone around the area, the cliffs were not an option, it wasn't as if Rukia would jump or fall from there, she wasn't an idiot after all. The woods were empty and not even pieces of clothes were found. Byakuya sighed, the fact that they had to keep the investigation a secret was a point against them, he just couldn't send Rukia's picture to the news channel, no one had to know.

"Stop overthinking, Byakuya" Ginrei advised him while stepping into the studio.

"I'm not overthinking" he said "I'm just wondering if Kurosaki Ichigo will make it on time."

Ginrei looked at the clock on the wall.

"He's on time" he said "besides, the reports can wait, have you heard anything about Rukia?"

"I thought you told me not to overthink" he said "and no, no one saw anything, there are no cameras on the area either."

Ginrei took a seat in front of Byakuya's desk.

"Have you called him?"

"The mad hatter?" Byakuya asked "no, and I don't plan to. The last thing we need is to explain to an eccentric freak about Rukia's existence." The Kuchiki heir grabbed his cellphone.

"Who are you calling?" Ginrei asked.

"Kurosaki Ichigo" he said "I never told him that he could take my car over the weekend."

"I never understood why you liked the Audi so much." Ginrei pointed out.

"It's mine and that's enough reason" he said "besides, why would the boy need my car? He has a motorcycle for the weekends, who knows what kind of things he could do on my car seats over the weekend?"

Ginrei chuckled.

"Stop talking like that, you know he's a good boy" he said smiling fondly at the mention of Ichigo "besides, it's not as if he's using it to drive crazy girls around."

"He better not" Byakuya said and dialed the orange haired boy's number.

* * *

Ichigo observed the crazy girl in front of him and started to wonder several things, who was she? Somehow, while he didn't doubt the convent story, he couldn't help but wonder if that was all there was to it, which brought him to the next question, who was her crazy as fuck father? It had to be some fucking asshole, because no one deserved to be called father after leaving his daughter in a convent and then try to get her a husband, it didn't make sense.

And his last question was, how come she could eat so much while having such amazing table manners?

Ichigo noticed instantly how well behaved she was, they sat in one of the tables at the back of the restaurant, Ichigo ordered a traditional Japanese breakfast and Rukia sat down with her back straight and once the food was served she started to eat with impeccable manners. That surprised him, he didn't know a lot about convents and nuns be he didn't suppose that they would teach etiquette, did they?

The breakfast consisted of mixed rice with either ikura, eggs with furikake, pickled vegetable salad, grilled fish, miso Soup and natto, somehow the skinny girl in front of him managed to eat everything and even asked for seconds.

He tilted his head while looking at her.

Perhaps the nuns were starving her or something.

"Is there something on my face, carrot top?" she asked smiling.

He looked aside and frowned.

"Stop calling me that, midget."

She smirked at him and was about to tell him something else when his cellphone went off. He answered without checking who was calling.

"Yo" he said uninterested and Rukia noticed how he paled in a matter of seconds.

She blinked.

"Who…?" she wanted to ask but he stood up.

"I'm on my way, I'm still on time! No, I'm not messing around with your car! Would you listen to me? Bya…" he hung up the phone defeated and Rukia looked at him worriedly.

"Is everything okay?" Rukia asked him.

"Yes, my boss is just being an ass" Ichigo said "I have to go, are you done?"

"No" she said while looking at the rest of her breakfast "why don't you go? I'll wait for you here."

Ichigo paused for a second. Something about leaving her behind didn't settle well with him but he knew he didn't have much time, besides he chose the restaurant because it was just a few blocks away from Byakuya's residential area. He was going to come back walking but he could do it fast, right?

"Promise me you won't move from here." He told her and she nodded while focusing on her breakfast again.

"Sure" she told him and Ichigo left the restaurant running.

It wasn't until he was a few blocks away when he noticed that he didn't leave her his phone number nor money.

_Well_ he thought _she's not going to leave the restaurant, right? _

* * *

Soujun observed how the boy parked perfectly on the usual spot and frowned.

Kurosaki Ichigo was a really interesting boy. He had perfect grades, he was responsible and his family was his top priority, well at least that's what he had noticed in the short time the boy had been working for Byakuya. He liked him well enough but still thought that he needed to learn some manners, he needed to learn how to use honorifics and, for heaven's sake, couldn't the boy dye his hair? He looked like a criminal.

A maid ran to open the door once the boy rang the doorbell.

"Good morning" he greeted politely "Byakuya called me."

The maid nodded and told him he would announce him shortly, Soujun took that chance to talk to the boy so he stepped into the living room.

"Good morning, Soujun-sama" he said respectfully and noticed how he looked nervous.

"Morning" he said "what brings you here so early? You're half an hour early."

The boy shrugged.

"Byakuya called me" he said "I guess he missed the car."

Soujun smiled at that, his son had a soft spot for that car.

"You can bet on that" he said "so, everything went well yesterday?"

Ichigo tensed at the question and he could tell that Byakuya's father noticed. He never got the chance to answer because in that moment Ginrei stepped into the room along with Byakuya, Ichigo greeted them as usual and Byakuya nodded at him while Ginrei smiled warmly. Of all the Kuchikis, Ginrei was the one Ichigo liked the most. He was the oldest but he always smiled kindly at him and he could tell that he appreciated him, which was a relief.

"Son" Ginrei said "I'm so glad to see you, did something interesting happened to you yesterday?"

_Oh yes _Ichigo thought _I hit a girl with Byakuya's favorite car_.

"Nothing at all" Ichigo answered, ignoring his own thoughts "I went and delivered the documents, I have the reports here."

He handed the envelope to Byakuya who grabbed it absentmindly.

"I was kind of worried" Ginrei said while walking Ichigo towards the studio, Byakuya and Soujun followed them closely "the roads outside the city can be quite dangerous sometimes, I'm glad nothing bad happened."

"Thank you for worrying, Sir" Ichigo said and noticed how everyone was taking their usual seats inside the studio, he took a deep breath, he couldn't stay to chat today.

"Well" Byakuya said while eyeing Ichigo "sit down, we'll talk about your report and there are a few other things you'll do this week at work."

"I don't mean to be rude" Ichigo said nervously "but I need to go."

Everyone looked at him questioningly.

"Do you have something to do?" Byakuya asked "that's unusual."

Ichigo gulped.

"Well" he said scratching the back of his head "I have a friend visiting the city and I promised her that I would show her around, she's waiting for me."

Byakuya and Soujun frowned.

"Show her around?" Soujun asked "so, you're leaving work aside for a girl?"

Ichigo sighed.

"Oh come on" Ginrei said smiling "is a good thing that Ichigo is finally going on dates."

Ichigo blushed slightly.

"It's not like that" he tried to say but Ginrei just smiled at him.

"It's okay, I still remember my youngster days and I understand" Ginrei said "what's this girl's name?"

"Ru-"

"Her name does not matter" Soujun said interrupting Ichigo "is not as if we know her, just stay for a few minutes boy, then you can leave to your date."

Ichigo obeyed and took a seat.

"Listen" Soujun started "there's a family matter that we must solve this week, therefore we'll leave in your charge some important documents, you can take them to your house if you wish to work there, but we won't be available until the next Friday."

Ichigo nodded

"I don't mean to pry" he said "but is everything okay? Can I help with anything?"

He noticed how the three men in front of him exchanged careful looks, and Ichigo thought that that was weird. The Kuchikis had a tendency to keep all of their worries hidden or at bait, they didn't become one of the most powerful families of Tokyo for nothing, but for them to actually tell Ichigo that they had problems it was quite the event.

Ginrei sighed.

"Hopefully we'll be able to explain this situation soon" he said finally "for now, we need your trustworthy silence and your efficiency at work, is that okay?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Yes, Sir."

"Magnificent" Byakuya said, his face was no betraying any emotion "then we'll begin with your reports from yesterday."

Ichigo looked at the clock and decided to stop thinking about Rukia for a while, she promised she wouldn't leave the restaurant.

* * *

After half an hour Rukia got bored.

She had finished her breakfast and she had nothing to do, besides the waiter kept directing glances her way and she felt uncomfortable. She knew that Ichigo wouldn't abandon her, he didn't look like that type of guy, but she wouldn't be able to wait for him much longer. So, making a quick choice she called the weird waiter and asked for the bill.

* * *

Once he got back to the restaurant he realized that Rukia wasn't at the table in fact, instead of Rukia, a group of teenage girls was at the table, all of them looked at him with sly smiles and he felt the sudden urge to escape the establishment.

"Uhm, sorry" he said awkwardly "there was a girl here, just a while ago and..."

A blonde one sighed.

"Sorry, we're the only ones here and we just arrived." She explained.

"But" a brunette said "if you're looking for a girl's company you can join us."

Ichigo mumbled his thanks and left them, he was starting to believe that every single girl on earth was crazy. He approached the waiter and asked him about Rukia, surely he knew if she was in the bathroom or something.

"The cutie? Raven hair and amazing legs?" He asked Ichigo after he asked him.

"Yeah" Ichigo answered while holding back from punching the guy.

He had noticed, of course, that Rukia's legs were amazing but he wasn't a pervert to comment on them so shamelessly.

"She left a while ago."

Ichigo frowned confused.

"Just like that? How did she pay?"

The boy frowned confused.

"With money" he answered "she had quite a lot, but she didn't leave a nice tip."

Ichigo thanked him and left the restaurant, where did Rukia got money? Shaking his head he started to look for her, he would have to ask her once he found her, she had to be close. Frowning he looked around the street and then at the sky, it was starting to get cloudy. He cursed inwardly, he didn't want to be under the rain while looking for Rukia.

* * *

Rukia looked around the street and noticed the amount of shops and people that were around the place. She smiled, she would look around and then she would stroll around the park, Ichigo would find her, she wasn't going to go too far after all. Looking up she realized that it was going to rain, without hesitating she looked for a shop with umbrellas, which would be her first stop.

* * *

Ichigo had searched around all of the street stores and he didn't find her, desperate he texted Renji.

**To:** _Pineapple head._

_"How do you find a lost novice in the middle of the city? Asking for a friend"_

* * *

Renji read Ichigo's message and chuckled.

**To:** _Orange haired asshole._

"_Sounds like you're having the weekend of your life. Sorry dude, I don't know how to find girls in the city, otherwise I wouldn't be single as fuck. Let me know if you need help, meanwhile I'm going back to sleep, is Saturday after all." _

He sent the message and sighed.

* * *

Ichigo groaned at Renji's text.

The first droplets of water started to fall and he felt as if he was running out of time. He started to think, where did she go? He thought about thousands of places only to realize that he didn't know a single thing about her. He didn't know what she was interested in, or where she wanted to go or to do. He felt the need to punch himself, he had promised her to get her a life and he failed to ask her the bare minimum, glaring at the gray sky he promised himself that once he found her he was going to dedicate himself to get to know her.

Without hesitating he started to run.

* * *

Rukia paid for her hat and thanked the dark skinned woman on the counter. After stepping into the shop she couldn't help but fall in love with the hat so, instead of being logical and getting an umbrella, she chose the hat which combined nicely with her dress.

"Have I seen you somewhere?" the woman asked her with a cat-like grin.

"I don't think so" Rukia answered "I'm new around here."

The woman smiled.

"Then, welcome to Karakura" she said kindly "my name is Yoruichi and this is my store, feel free to come as much as you want."

"Thank you" Rukia said "my name is Rukia, by the way, do you know where the nearest animal shop is?"

Yoruichi nodded and gave the young girl the directions.

* * *

Ichigo thought about going to the police but he discarded the idea, what would he say?

"_Officer, somehow I ended up taking care of a novice, she looks like a midget but I do not have pictures or anything, can you help me find her?"_

Ichigo shook his head, he couldn't do that. They would probably send him to jail accusing him of being drunk. He groaned and looked up at the cloudy sky, he hated the fucking rain and it was starting to pour harder, he thought about Rukia, would she be scared? Did some fucking pervert found her and she didn't know how to defend herself? Would she be able to remember the way back home? And then another, more scary thought invaded him, did her father found her somehow?

He tried to tell himself that he shouldn't be worrying so much, he didn't even know the girl that much! But her smile and her big unique eyes came to mind and he couldn't help but think about how much he wanted to find her and take her home, with him. He walked towards the animal shop and smiled melancholy, looking at the bunnies from the window shop he remembered how Rukia told him she loved animals.

He groaned.

It had been just a few hours and he had already lost the girl, he was a useless case.

* * *

Rukia looked from outside the window shop and noticed his orange hair and sighed with relief. She knew he would remember! She thanked the owner for giving her the chance to protect herself from the rain and said goodbye. She wanted to keep looking at the bunnies but Ichigo was wet so she left the shop, she needed to stop him for looking like a drenched fool.

* * *

He was about to leave the street when someone kicked him on the back. He fell painfully on the street and was about to turn around and punched whoever was interrupting his depressive moment when he noticed who the person was.

"Rukia?!" he asked shocked.

He thought he was seeing things, she was wearing the blue sundress, the sandals and a blue straw hat with a ribbon. Where did she get the hat?

"I knew you would remember that I love animals!" she said smiling "I didn't wait for you because you were taking too long, so I visited a few shops, I walked through the park and I decided to wait for you here!"

She extended her hand and he took it, once he was on his feet again he looked at her.

"I was worried" she kept explaining "I thought that your boss was giving you a hard time because we decided to have breakfast instead of delivering the reports, did he fire you?"

Ichigo shook his head in negative.

She smiled.

"That's cool" she said and then looked for something inside the pockets of her dress "I bought you this."

She handed him a key chain, it had a black bunny.

"It'll bring you luck" she said "at least that's what the owner of the shop told me, I think that you work with an asshole so I guess you'll need that from now on."

He looked at the bunny on his hand and thought that it was so Rukia.

"Are you even listening?" she asked him "we look like fools standing here, carrot top! We're fucking wet and…!"

She couldn't keep talking because Ichigo took that chance to hug her.

Her eyes widened, she had never been hugged by a guy but it felt nice. Ichigo smelled nice and while the hug wasn't really comfortable, because of their wet clothes, she couldn't help but think that Ichigo's arms were really toned, she blushed slightly at that last thought.

"I thought I would never find you." Ichigo said and his breath on her ear gave her goosebumps.

"Well" she said a little unsure "you did, can we keep looking at the city? It looks like the rain will end soon."

Ichigo chuckled and let go off her.

"Sure, midget." He told her and looked at the sky.

The rain was really stopping.

* * *

**Hello! I'm back with a second chapter because I was having fun with this idea, thank you to the ones who reviewed the last chapter:**

**Just Shipping: I'm glad I made you laugh! Hopefully you liked this chapter as well, let me know! Kisses and thanks for reading!**

**Jobananasan: As always your reviews light up my days! Thank you so much for your support in this story as well, let me know what you think about this chapter! By the way, I'm planning to update "My little genie" next. Kisses! **

**Haru000: Thank you for your review! I know I mention convents quite often, I'll explain why in the next chapter ;) let me know if you liked this chapter! Kisses! **

**Vick Greystark: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! Let me know what you think about this chapter, kisses!**

**Emman214: Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you enjoy the concept, tell me what you think about this chapter, okay? Kisses!**

**Thank you again and see you on the next chapter! **

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay guys, this is not a drill. **

**Bleach is coming back and I seriously don't know how to feel about it.**

**Onto the chapter now, enjoy!**

**Chapter 3**

* * *

The church.

Of all the places in which Ichigo thought that he would spend his Sunday morning, the church was the last of them, hell the church wasn't even on his list. On Sunday mornings he would usually wake up late, have breakfast with his sisters, perhaps mind his own business and then call Renji and hang out with him and the others. He looked around himself, he was the only young person in the church, except for the couple of children that were running around and ignoring the Priest's speech and Rukia.

He looked at the weird girl standing next to him and sighed. She was a force to be reckoned with, that was for sure. She was looking at the altar in front of them and was listening intently to everything the Priest was saying, after spending one day with her he assumed that, considering how she escaped from a convent and everything, she wouldn't be religious. Apparently he was wrong, perhaps he had failed to notice. Sighing again he contemplated everything that brought him to this unusual place.

_It was early, perhaps 6AM, he couldn't really tell. _

_He was still on his bed, enjoying its warmth and his lack of responsibilities. Sundays were awesome to be lazy and not to worry about the next day, he could read a book, watch TV, or to have several naps. He smiled against his pillow, Kurosaki Ichigo loved Sundays. _

"_Ichigo" a deep, feminine voice said and his smile faded. _

_He decided to ignore her. _

"_Ichigo" the voice repeated and he groaned while hiding his face deeply into his white pillow. _

_He wasn't going to get up because of her, he wasn't going to. _

"_Carrot top, if you don't look at me right now I'm stepping out of your bedroom and I swear I'll greet your father as if I live here!" there was a pause "in fact, I do live here, should I let your father know?" _

_Ichigo sat down and glared at Rukia. _

_She was already dressed, this time she was wearing a white sundress, blue sandals and the straw hat that she bought while Ichigo had been panicking over her. _

"_What?" he asked her rudely and then looked at the clock on his bedside table "Rukia, what the fuck?! Is six in the fucking morning! It's Sunday!"_

"_Exactly" she said unaffected by his rudeness "it's time for you to get ready."_

"_Ready?" Ichigo asked shocked. _

"_Yes, we're going to church, it's our responsibility to go and listen to the Sunday mass, remember?" _

_Ichigo blinked confused several times. _

"_What the hell?!"_

He ran a hand through his messy hair.

This time he didn't leave a note to his father nor his sisters, what was he supposed to say anyway? _Hey, don't wait for me, I went to church_. He clicked his tongue, frustrated, he needed to balance Rukia's existence with his family life otherwise his father would've his head. Sundays were a family day and this was the first time he wasn't going to have breakfast with Karin and Yuzu, he felt a little guilty about that.

Sooner than he thought the mass was over and Ichigo noticed how everyone started to leave the place, he almost thanked God for that.

"Excuse me" an old lady said while approaching them at the exit "miss?"

Rukia, who was putting on her hat, looked at the old lady and smiled.

"Yes?" she asked politely.

Ichigo noticed how the old lady looked him out of the corner of her eye, she was looking with distrust at him. He frowned, this was always the problem with his hair and his scowling face and he couldn't help it, he was born like that, damn it!

"I was wondering, are you in danger?" the old lady asked and Rukia tilted her head in confusion.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"Well" the old lady insisted and she didn't stop staring at Ichigo "this boy… he is not forcing you to be with him, is he?"

Rukia looked at Ichigo and then at the old lady and laughed.

"Oh no!" she said "not at all! It's quite the opposite, you'll see, I'm forcing him to be with me."

She said it so naturally that Ichigo couldn't help but laugh alongside her. In the end the old lady said goodbye and assured Rukia that it wasn't her intention to disturb her Sunday.

* * *

Kurosaki Isshin woke up and smirked.

This was his chance, today he was going to kick Ichigo to make him wake up. He knew that his son wouldn't miss a family day so of course he was still asleep. As silently as he could he walked towards his son's bedroom and once he was in front of his door he kicked it open, he jumped and when he landed on the bed he realized it was empty.

Isshin gaped.

Where the hell was Ichigo? He couldn't find any note so without wasting more time he went downstairs, Yuzu was already making breakfast and Karin was watching TV.

"Does anyone of you knows where Ichigo is?" he asked.

Karin raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"Damn" she said "you're acting serious, is everything okay?"

"Ichigo is not in his bedroom" he said.

"Dad" Yuzu said worriedly "you sound shocked, are you okay?"

Tears started to roll down his cheeks and he ran towards his late wife's poster.

"Mom!" he said "our rebellious son is out there on the street, probably getting into trouble, and our daughters don't care!"

"Leave him" Karin said to Yuzu "he is totally okay."

* * *

"Okay" Ichigo said checking his watch "I still have time to have breakfast with my sisters and my father."

Rukia frowned sadly.

"I'm sorry" she said.

"What for?" Ichigo asked confused.

"Well" Rukia said while walking alongside him towards the church's parking spot "I am forcing you to have time with me, I didn't stop to think that your family might miss you."

Ichigo shrugged.

"It's not a huge deal" he said and looked around, every single old lady was looking at them with curious eyes, they probably looked funny together "but my father has this rule about having a family day on Sundays, I didn't tell you beforehand because I didn't think you were going to come to church."

Rukia sighed.

"It's okay" she said "I can spend the rest of the day in your room, tomorrow we can make something else, right?"

Ichigo stopped walking.

No, they couldn't do anything else tomorrow. He had school, he had to work and he wouldn't be able to see her that much. Gulping he realized that he had made a huge mistake by promising that he would teach her how to live on her own.

"What is it, carrot top?" she asked while looking at him.

Ichigo sighed.

"Well" he said and was about to explain her why he wouldn't be able to spend time with her until he saw her eyes, her impossible gorgeous eyes, he didn't think that he could deny her anything so in the end he took another decision "I'll go and have breakfast and then lunch with my family but in the afternoon I'll be free, we can go and do something then, do you think you can wait that long?"

She smiled at him widely.

"Sure!"

Ichigo was glad and once they reached his motorcycle they were ready to go.

Rukia loved motorcycles, when she woke up Ichigo she expected them to walk towards their destination but he informed her that he had a motorcycle of his own. It was a 2018 street rod, red Harley Davidson. She gasped when she first saw it and Ichigo smiled cockily at her reaction, what did he expect? It was amazing!

"You know" she said while taking seat and hugging him from behind "your hair, your permanent scowl and this motorcycle really makes you look like a bad boy."

He chuckled.

"Yeah" he said "unfortunately, the fact that I'm leaving church ruins my image."

She laughed and he accelerated towards home.

"Why is that cute lady dating a gangster?!" one of the church's old ladies asked her friend.

"Beats me" the other said "but I bet that they are having the most heated romance, oh to be young again!"

The other old women nodded solemnly.

* * *

Rukia stepped into the room through the window and sighed.

Ichigo was kind enough to buy breakfast for her on the way home so she decided to eat on his desk. She tried not to think about how many times the girls back in the convent left her to eat on her own just because they didn't like her, this wasn't the same, Ichigo promised to take her somewhere after lunch, she wasn't alone anymore.

She smirked as she took a bite from her toast, those girls would probably blush a deep shade of red if they were to discover how she was sharing a room with a boy. She chuckled at that thought.

She finished her breakfast and soon she got bored, so she decided to look around Ichigo's desk.

She found an envelope that was labeled "work for the week" and left it aside, she wasn't that interested in Ichigo's asshole boss. She found a picture of Ichigo's family and smiled, his father was making a goofy face while Ichigo was looking angrily at him, she then observed with curiosity his sisters, they didn't look like twins at all but they looked nice, she wondered if she were to meet them soon. As she suspected Ichigo's mother wasn't with them, she probably passed away, she didn't dare to ask at least not for now, she could hear laughter from downstairs and what sounded like something hitting the walls painfully, she frowned as she remembered her family.

Breakfast with the Kuchikis never sounded like that.

She was about to get up and take a quick nap when she noticed Ichigo's cellphone. She bit her lip, he probably forgot it before going to church, deciding that a quick peek wouldn't hurt so she grabbed it and smirked when she realized that it didn't have a password. She checked his picture gallery first, there were pictures of her sisters but it was obvious that he didn't take them, it looked as if the blonde one grabbed the phone to take selfies. She found a picture of Renji playing video games with Ichigo and a slim, bespectacled boy she didn't know, there was a picture of Ichigo with his motorcycle and some pictures of him eating lunch at school with what seemed to be a big group of friends.

She sighed longingly.

She forgot that he would go to school tomorrow, she wanted to go too.

More girly laughter was heard downstairs, Ichigo's sisters without a doubt, and she frowned. Why couldn't her family be as warm and funny as Ichigo's? Without being able to hold her curiosity she opened google on Ichigo's cellphone and searched for her father's latest news, after writing his name several news appeared and she clicked on the most recent one.

Her eyes widened as she read aloud.

"In the last year the Kuchiki enterprise tripled its incomings and is now one of the leader companies around Japan, and without leaving aside their commitment with the Justice system they've now given opportunities to several new lawyers eager to please both Kuchiki Soujun and Kuchiki Byakuya, leaders of the Kuchiki Company."

She closed the browser and left the cellphone where she found it.

She now understood why they didn't visit her the whole last year.

* * *

"Ichi-nii" Yuzu said as she observed her father lying on the floor due to Ichigo's kick "where were you this morning?"

Ichigo choked on his tea and Karin hit him lightly on the back.

"Uhm…" he said "I just went to take some fresh air."

"Are you feeling stressed about something?" Karin asked casually.

Ichigo remembered the raven haired girl inside his closet and chuckled.

"You've no idea."

"You should get a girlfriend!" his father said standing up suddenly "I need to see grandchildren soon!"

Ichigo glared at him.

"Shut up old man!" he said "Byakuya already owns my whole life and tomorrow will be bad, apparently they have something important to do so they won't be at the office, I'll have to take care of all the paperwork!"

"Why?" Yuzu asked "I thought that they rarely missed an office day."

Ichigo shrugged.

"They didn't explain, but I'll think I'll take a nap today to be able to function properly tomorrow."

"That's a good idea" Karin agreed "as long as daddy here doesn't try to kill you in your sleep."

Yuzu laughed at that and Isshin went to cry onto Masaki's poster about disrespectful children.

* * *

The day went considerably fast and Rukia found herself on the back of Ichigo's motorcycle again. He promised her some dessert and she agreed without much thought. The café Ichigo chose was cute and the smells were amazing, once they were both waiting for their orders to arrive Ichigo decided to talk.

"You're really quiet this afternoon" he commented "did something happen?"

Rukia looked outside the window towards the street, it was already sunset.

"Well, I just got bored I think" she lied.

"Sorry" Ichigo said "the old man and the twins wouldn't let go off me."

Rukia smiled at him.

"Your family sounds like fun" she said "tell me about them."

Ichigo nodded and started to talk.

Rukia found herself laughing at some of his anecdotes and his father's antics, Karin and Yuzu apparently had really opposites personalities but somehow they got along really well. He showed her the pictures she had already seen and she pretended that it was the first time seeing them, he talked about his classmates too and she noticed how he didn't mention any girl's name. Before they knew it, it was already night and they needed to go back.

"I'll take something to Karin and Yuzu" he said.

"I'll wait for you in the motorcycle" she told him and he nodded.

Once Rukia stepped outside she noticed a public phone, gulping she decided to make a call.

* * *

The phone rang and Byakuya frowned. He was in his studio speaking with his grandfather and father about the business and Rukia's disappearing, no one had the house number, no one. It was reserved for family members and to use only in case of emergency. Clicking his tongue he decided to ignore the call, it wouldn't do any good to answer a random seller who probably found the number by mere coincidence.

Soujun glared at him.

"Answer" he ordered "I cannot hear myself think with that ringing."

Ginrei nodded agreeing with him.

Byakuya answered on speaker.

"This phone is for family members only" he said as a way of greeting "no matter how you found it, delete it and don't call again."

There was a pause of a few seconds.

"Damn" a deep feminine voice said finally "I don't know what I expected to hear but it wasn't that."

Everyone's eyes widened and Ginrei stood up out of shock.

"Rukia?!" he asked "is that you?! Rukia?!"

There was another pause.

"Hi, granddaddy" she said finally and Soujun could swear that she sounded melancholic "I hope you're okay."

"I am" Ginrei said quickly "but you shouldn't worry about me, where are you?"

There was a longer pause this time and Soujun exchanged a look with Byakuya. It was obvious how she wasn't going to reveal where she was.

"Rukia" Byakuya said finally "your grandfather asked you a question, we've all been worried sick. Where are you?"

Rukia sighed heavily.

"I will not tell you" she said decisively "I just called to know if you were okay, is grandpa Soujun there?"

"I am" Soujun said smiling fondly at her granddaughter's voice "and I, as Ginrei, am okay but I think I speak for all of us when I say that we would be much better if you could tell us where you are."

"Why?" Rukia asked "did you already find a good husband for me?"

Byakuya pinched the bridge of his nose exasperated.

"No, Rukia" he muttered impatiently "you will not marry anyone you don't want to, that was a lie, we just want you to come back home."

"Why?" she asked again.

"Rukia" Ginrei said "are you okay? What happened? Why did you escape?"

Byakuya could hear some background noises, some cars and some store doors opening and closing, she was in a city.

"I'm okay" she said "in fact, I'm amazing."

"Amazing?" Byakuya asked coldly.

"Yes, I found someone who helped me" she said "I've been having the best time of my life, I have a friend and I have a nice room, three meals a day and guess what? I'm not surrounded by old, ancient, gothic walls or angry old women who only treat me decently because of my last name."

Ginrei hid his face on his hands.

Rukia sounded extremely resentful towards them, she had hated the convent life so it was no surprise that she was avoiding them and she would continue to do so. Ginrei couldn't blame her but he was worried, she was his only granddaughter.

"Please" Ginrei said almost desperately "please, Rukia. Tell us where you are, I believe that you're okay but I cannot bear your distance any longer, don't you wish to see us? To see me?"

Rukia cleared her throat and Soujun crossed his arms while sinking into his chair. It was obvious how she wanted to cry and judging by his father and his son's reaction they noticed it too, Rukia's tears always brought unpleasant feelings, they hated to see her sad and the fact that they were the ones to blame this time didn't make it any better.

"I miss you all terribly" Rukia said "but you didn't visit me for a whole year, I don't even need to ask why, I read the newspaper today, business is really booming right now so I'm guessing that leaving me aside while you were making a fortune worked out magnificently."

Byakuya ignore the pang of guilt he felt and made a mental note to see how many newspapers published their business affairs today, it was an amazing clue and she wasn't aware of that.

"All we wanted was for you to be safe" Byakuya excused himself "and I don't think you realize how exposed you are in the middle of the city, is the person who is helping you aware of who you really are?"

"My last name is not important" she said "I already told him that and he doesn't care."

At this Soujun exploded.

"He?!" he asked angrily "a boy is helping you? What's his name and what is he demanding in exchange of taking care of you?"

Ginrei tensed.

"Rukia" he said worriedly "no matter what this boy promised you, he's a stranger and you're a young girl, I beg you to tell where you are right now, we can talk, we'll bring you home."

"Home?" Rukia asked "I haven't been there in ages, you didn't even bother to take me home in the holidays!"

"Rukia" Byakuya insisted "who's helping you? You said you have a room and three meals a day, did a grown man took you to live with him? Do you realize the vulnerable position you're in?"

"I'm not an idiot" she said defensively "and he's not like that, he hasn't demanded money from me if that's what you're suggesting."

Ginrei wanted to bang his head against Byakuya's desk, Rukia's innocence was going to be the death of all the Kuchiki clan.

"That's not what I'm suggesting" Byakuya said impatiently "Rukia, where are you?"

"Oh, he's coming" she said and Soujun frowned at how happy she sounded at that "listen, I'm glad that you're all okay but I'm not going back, I don't want to be a Kuchiki anymore, I'll learn to fend for myself and I'll live on my own. Don't look for me, I'm fine."

"Rukia!" Ginrei said.

"I love you" she said and this time they were all sure, she was crying "but I cannot forgive you, you all abandoned me!"

"Rukia" Soujun said "just tell us where you are, we won't force you to do anything, let us see with our eyes that you're okay."

"I love you, really" she repeated "bye."

"No!" Ginrei said but the call ended and all that could be heard was the line beeping.

No one said anything, there was no need, it was obvious how guilty and heartbroken every single men in the room felt.

* * *

The ride home was quiet, Rukia was holding onto Ichigo harder than before but he didn't say anything. He noticed it when he approached her, after she finished her call, she was crying. It was quite weird to see her sad, he felt like whipping her tears away but he didn't know how to do it and he didn't know what to say.

Once they arrived home Rukia stepped into the room through Ichigo's window while he put the motorcycle into the garage.

When he stepped into his room he found her sitting on his bed, she was hugging his pillow and her shoulders were shaking, she wasn't crying but it was painfully obvious how she wanted to. He let her be and took a seat on his desk chair, if she wanted to talk he would listen but something was telling him that pressuring her wasn't the right thing to do.

"Carrot top" she said finally after a few minutes "do you like me?"

Ichigo blinked, he wasn't expecting that.

"Yeah" he said without hesitation "I mean, you have some violent tendencies and you could grow an inch or too, but other than that you're awesome to have around."

He noticed how she hugged his pillow tighter.

"Even if you don't know my last name? Or who my father is?" she asked.

Ichigo shrugged.

"I figured out that you didn't want to tell me your last name because you don't want to use it anymore, am I correct?"

She nodded.

"And the reason you don't want to use it anymore it's because you don't want anything to do with your father, right?"

Rukia sighed.

"Not exactly" she said "listen, my father is quite a complicated person."

"I figured out that much when you said the bastard wanted to choose a husband for you" Ichigo said and Rukia smiled sadly.

"Well, yeah" she agreed "anyway, the thing is that I really love him and back then, when I was still a child, he would always spend time with me."

Ichigo nodded to let her know that she had his full attention.

"I was spoiled in my house, my grandparents and my father loved me a lot" she said "I guess they still do."

She took a deep breath.

"But as I grew older I noticed that daddy couldn't look at me very often" she sighed "I look a lot like my mother, carrot top. I look so much like her that it's crazy, if she was alive I'm pretty sure people would confuse us as sisters."

"So, your father stopped looking at you because you reminded him of your mother?"

"That's my theory" she said shrugging.

"What was your mother's name?" Ichigo asked.

"Hisana" Rukia said and he noticed how she smiled a little, like if she was remembering something "but well, as I was telling you I got older and my father dumped me in the doors of a convent and only visited once in a while, my grandparents didn't stop him and one day no one came for me. I didn't leave that place, not even for holidays."

Ichigo noticed how miserable she looked saying that.

"I spent a full year without visits, I sent them lots of letters, several letters and they never answered back" her eyes shone with unshed tears "I thought they had forgotten me."

Ichigo crossed his arms to ignore the urge to comfort her with a hug.

"But then daddy's letter arrived" she said "he didn't explain why they didn't visit or why they didn't take me home for the holidays all he said was that they wanted me back home."

"That's when you panicked" Ichigo summarized.

She nodded.

"I thought he had chosen a husband, I planned the whole thing, grabbed all the money I saved and well, you know the rest" she stood up and started to pace around the room "I know I'm not mature and sometimes I'm silly but I'm not an idiot, I knew they were worried so I called them today."

Ichigo noticed that she couldn't hold the tears anymore. He had forgotten to ask about the money the day before but now there was no need, apparently she had been saving.

"They didn't apologize, they didn't explain anything, all they wanted to know was where I am" she said "daddy didn't even talk that much."

Ichigo scoffed.

Rukia's father was probably some stupid asshole.

"I told them that I was fine and that there was someone helping me" she said "I didn't say who you were but they told me that you were just helping me because of money and well, they didn't say it like that, but I thought that's what they were suggesting."

Ichigo stood up and put his hands on his shoulder to stop her from pacing.

"Midget" he said "calm the fuck down, I'm helping you because I want to and your good for nothing father doesn't know me, you shouldn't worry."

"I don't want to go to them!" she said looking at him desperately "I want to keep enjoying this for a while, you're okay with that, right?"

Ichigo nodded.

"You can stay as much as you want" he assured her "I won't let your father find you and besides, Japan is huge, is not as if he's near any of us."

Rukia smiled.

That was true.

In what Ichigo thought was a rare moment, he observed Rukia's eyes. All the light inside the room was coming from the moon so they were shining in an amazing way, he found himself unable to stop looking at her and before he knew what he was doing he started to lean down. Rukia smiled and surprising him she kissed him sweetly on the cheek.

"Thank you, carrot top" she said and left him there as she got into the closet to sleep.

Ichigo blinked and wondered why he felt so damn happy at that simple gesture.

* * *

**Okay, that was longer than what I expected! The next chapter is finally a school chapter! **

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last one:**

**Vick Greystark: Thank you so much! Hopefully you loved this chapter too, let me know! Kisses! **

**TheQueenInDisguise: Oh my God! I have to tell you, I love long and detailed reviews, so yours made my whole day, anyway I was already planning on touching Rukia's religious side but it'll be gradually, hopefully you liked this chapter and I'll be waiting anxiously for your review! Thank you! **

**Jobananasan: Seeing your name in the reviews always brings a smile to my face, thank you so much! I promise you we'll be seeing some cute interactions with grandpa Ginrei in the future! Let me know what you think about this chapter, okay? I cannot wait to read you again, kisses! (By the way, what do you think about Bleach coming back? I need to know!)**

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**Well, that's all! I'll read you all soon! Take care! **

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When Ichigo stepped into his classroom the next morning he noticed how everyone turned to look at him with widened eyes and he didn't blame them, he probably looked like a zombie. He scowled and everyone stopped looking at him.

"Long night?" Renji asked approaching him "or perhaps a long weekend?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"It was a fucking emotional rollercoaster" he said "Renji, she made me go to church."

Renji laughed.

"You have to tell me everything, dude" he said "I mean it."

Ichigo nodded.

This was going to be a tiresome day.

* * *

"Is a good thing that the call lasted more than a minute" the young boy said "although, it would've been better if you had tracked it since the moment you received it."

Byakuya frowned.

The boy he had hired to track the call was annoying but Byakuya knew that he was going to be useful so he let him talk. It was a good thing that he always saved the calls he received, his father used to call him paranoid because of that but now, his so called paranoia, proved to be convenient. The boy connected a device to the phone and started to download information about the zone, several locations popped out on the screen and Byakuya sighed.

"Don't worry, Lord Kuchiki" the boy said "it'll take just a couple of minutes."

Byakuya nodded and Ginrei stepped into the room.

"Any luck?" he asked.

Byakuya observed his grandfather, there were bags under his eyes and he was using the cane. He only used the cane whenever he was feeling tired, it was obvious how Rukia's call affected him but Byakuya decided not to point it out. He couldn't blame him, after hearing his daughter crying and deciding that she didn't want anything to do with the family anymore he couldn't help but feel quite… uneasy.

"Just a couple of minutes!" the boy repeated and Ginrei took a seat.

"I'm worried" Ginrei said "what if… I mean, you heard her. Someone's helping her, I don't even want to know in exchange of what, she probably doesn't even understand the position she put herself in."

Byakuya crossed his arms.

Of all the things Rukia said, that was the one that bothered him the most. The fact that a male accepted a girl out of nowhere in his house was bad, the fact that the girl happened to be his daughter was worst, Rukia was an idiot, and whoever was helping her to hide would be in jail in no time, Byakuya promised that to himself. Hopefully the call would give them some clues.

"Tada!" the boy said "I cannot track the exact position of the call but I do know from which city the call was made."

Ginrei's eyes widened.

"It's…" the boy paused surprised "oh, the call was made from here, from Karakura."

"What?" Byakuya asked "are you sure?"

The boy nodded.

"Completely, Sir" he said "like I told you I cannot say exactly from where but judging by this map I would bet that it was made from the center of the city, I have no doubts."

Ginrei smiled.

"Those are great news" he said "she's closer than ever, we'll find her soon."

Byakuya nodded.

They needed to find her soon.

* * *

"Okay" Rukia said while grasping some courage "it's going to be okay, you can do it."

She felt silly while giving herself the pep-talk but there was no other choice. She was in front of Seireitei High School, ready to enroll herself so she could finally find out how fun school was, she didn't understand why she was so nervous. Taking a deep breath she stepped into the building and walked towards the Principal office.

* * *

Ichigo told Renji everything, starting from their little breakfast on Saturday until last night when she decided to fuck up his sleeping schedule by actually kissing him. It was lucky that they were waiting for the teacher to arrive otherwise he wouldn't have found another time to tell everything to Renji without being interrupted.

Renji's eyes widened.

"Wait" Renji said confused "she kissed you? Isn't that a little too daring for a novice?"

Ichigo shrugged.

"I thought so too" he said "I'm guessing that she did it with all the innocence in the world which honestly makes it worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she's going to live with me for a while" Ichigo explained "if she keeps doing random stuff like that I'm going to be in trouble."

Renji smirked.

"So…" he said "I'm guessing that your days won't be boring anymore."

Ichigo sighed.

"Tell me about it" he said "hopefully, she won't do anything crazy today, I hope she waits for me before going outside, if my father were to see her..."

Renji chuckled.

"Your father would kill you!"

"I know" Ichigo said "luckily Rukia won't surprise me anymore, I know she'll stay at home and wait for me."

* * *

Rukia was sure that she had just pointed a gun at her own head.

When they took her to the Principal's office she expected to see an old man or woman to whom she would explain her situation calmly and then they would let her stay, it was as simple as that. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side. Because the moment she stepped into the office she came face to face with a familiar face, Jushiro Ukitake, one of her father's friends.

"Rukia?" he asked shocked and she gaped.

"Ukitake-sama" she said nervously "I didn't know… I mean, oh my God."

"What are you doing here?" he asked "last time I saw you Byakuya sent you to…"

Rukia took a deep breath. She thought about leaving the room as fast as she could, she thought about jumping through the window and never come back but she saw Ukitake's confused look and remembered that this was Ichigo's school and decided that she would take the risk, if it didn't work out she could always escape.

"Ukitake-sama" she said while closing the door behind her "if I explain you everything, will you help me?"

Ukitake nodded.

"Come on, take a seat."

* * *

Ichigo looked around the classroom and sighed.

The day was boring as he expected. Once he finished telling Renji everything about his weekend classes resumed normally, history was interesting enough, physics was quite well, but now they were in the third period and Kyoraku-sensei wasn't the best at teaching literature, perhaps he was hangover, he left them reading some random passage on the text book and decided to take a nap in the middle of the fucking class. Luckily, they were allowed to comment on the book with the other classmates, that way no one would die of boredom.

"Okay" Renji said putting the book down "Ishida, explain."

Ishida Uryuu was a thin, bespectacled, dark haired boy who somehow ended up becoming a good friend, Ichigo couldn't stand him at first due to his stuck up attitude but after some arguments they managed to be civil with each other.

"Explain what?" Ishida asked "we just have to read, is not that hard."

"I don't feel like reading" Renji said and Ichigo had to agree with him "what do you think about the book, Chad?"

"Uhm" Chad, a dark skinned tall boy said and Ichigo chuckled.

Chad was a man of few words, or not words at all.

"Fine" Renji said and looked at the other classmates.

Yumichika and Ikkaku didn't look really interested in the book either and Keigo and Mizuiro were out of the question, they looked as if they could fall asleep at any second.

"Do you think I should ask her?" Renji asked pointing at Riruka.

Ichigo scoffed.

Riruka was the only girl in the whole class, she had pink long hair and mean eyes, she didn't get along too well with the rest of the class but somehow she had been with them ever since elementary school. Ichigo sometimes felt bad for her, especially when he saw her studying or eating on her own, unfortunately her personality made her quite… unapproachable.

Seireitei High School was not a school only for boys but it got that reputation a long time back, so most parents always preferred to enroll their daughters to their neighbor school. That's where Tatsuki and Inoue, two really good friends of Ichigo, were. He sighed, perhaps it was for the best, some boys wouldn't concentrate on their studies whenever they saw Riruka so he didn't want to imagine if another girl were to arrive out of nowhere.

"Nah" Ichigo said "come on, stop trying, you're not good at reading."

"You're right" Renji agreed "physical education is more my thing."

Ichigo shuddered.

He didn't like physical education.

* * *

"I understand" Ukitake said after Rukia ended up explaining everything.

In the end she decided not to lie to him, she didn't need to make her situation even more complicated. Besides, Ukitake was a wise man, he would be able to see though her lies without problems. Rukia gulped, she didn't know if he would let her stay.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be away from Byakuya, Rukia" he said and Rukia frowned sadly.

"But…"

"Listen" Ukitake said "I do agree that locking you in a convent was… ludicrous. But Byakuya is your father, he must be worried sick along with your grandfather and your great grandfather, you're a Kuchiki."

Rukia felt a pang of guilt but let it aside.

"But I've been doing all right, and I really want to study" she explained desperately "besides grandpa and granddaddy are…"

"Grandpa and granddaddy?" Ukitake asked confused.

"Oh" Rukia said blushing slightly "I'm sorry, it's just that I call my grandfather "grandpa" and my great grandfather is "granddaddy", he doesn't like to be called great grandfather."

Ukitake chuckled at that.

Kuchiki Ginrei always refused to believe he was getting old.

"The thing is" Rukia continued "that a boy from this school has been helping me, studying with him would be fun and convenient."

"Yes" Ukitake said "you mentioned that this is the same boy who saved you, what's his name?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo" she said and noticed how Ukitake's eyes widened.

"Oh" Ukitake said and then smiled fondly "then I have nothing to worry about."

Rukia tilted her head confused.

"Why is that?"

"Listen, Rukia" he said "I'll let you stay and I won't tell Byakuya about this, but on one condition."

Rukia nodded.

"You'll be coming to see me often and tell me everything about how the people at school is treating you, I want to know where you live and I don't want you to leave Ichigo's side while you're hiding from Byakuya."

Rukia thought that all of that sounded weird but she agreed.

"Also" Ukitake continue "I want you to be open at the possibility of talking with your family, not now of course, but I want you to think about it, you have to forgive them at some point."

Rukia looked aside.

"I won't discard the possibility of forgiving them, but I don't think I'm ready to see them yet" she said coldly.

Ukitake nodded sadly.

"I understand" he said "I cannot blame you for that, will you be staying?"

Rukia smiled at him.

"Your conditions are weird, Ukitake-sama" she said "but if you're the one who's managing this school I cannot imagine a better place for me to say, being under your wing is an honor and a privilege."

Ukitake smiled at that.

The reason why he wanted Rukia to stay was because he wanted to keep an eye on her, he knew that eventually he would have to tell Byakuya where she was but for now he would let her enjoy a normal life. As far as he was concerned Byakuya deserved the cold shoulder from her daughter, Ukitake had tried to prevent Rukia from going to the convent but he failed and now the Kuchiki heiress was back, Ukitake wanted to take care of her for a while.

Not to mention that she was living with Kurosaki Ichigo, Ukitake couldn't imagine a safest place for Rukia.

"Then" Ukitake said finally "let's take you to your class."

* * *

Ichigo kept his eyes glued to his phone, Byakuya had sent him a message explaining that he would need him earlier than usual on the office. He frowned, what for? That would definitely ruin his plans, considering how he wanted to see Rukia after class but well, Rukia would have to wait. He was so caught up reading the messages that he never noticed when the teacher was called to the hallway.

Five minutes passed and Ichigo heard the teacher coming back inside, he never stopped watching his phone and he ignored the murmurs that ran around the classroom.

"Okay, guys" the teacher said "we have a new classmate today, as you know we're in the middle of the semester so please be kind with her, her name's Rukia."

Ichigo looked to the front of the class so fast that for a second he thought he had broken his own neck. There she was, Rukia, wearing the girl's uniform and a big smile, he gaped. No, this couldn't be happening, how did she find the way to school? What kind of tricks did she use for the Principal to let her enroll in the middle of the semester? He wanted answers but at the same time he was afraid to ask.

Renji looked at Ichigo with widened eyes.

"Ichigo, did you know…?" he whispered.

"No" Ichigo whispered back "I don't even know how she found the school."

"Now, you can all get to meet her later" the teacher said smiling knowingly "for now, we should find you a place to sit, oh there's one next to Dokugamine, please go on."

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair as he observed how Rukia took a seat next to Riruka of all people.

His day was barely starting.

* * *

"Okay" Soujun said as the chauffer parked outside the hospital "Kurosaki Isshin is already waiting for us, this shouldn't take long."

Ginrei frowned at his son.

"I told you and Byakuya that I'm fine" he said "we should be looking for Rukia right now, not worrying about my health."

"Father" Soujun said calmly "we all want to find Rukia, truly, but we need you alive for when we find her, God knows you're the only one of us who that girl will listen to."

Ginrei scoffed.

"I'm perfectly fine!" he excused himself.

"Then this will be fast, just a checkup" Soujun said as the chauffer opened the door for them.

* * *

Rukia didn't know that this school was mostly full of males, she glared at one of her new classmates who was gaping at the sight of her and he stopped and looked aside. Ichigo never mentioned this and when she looked at him he simply looked at her with shock written all over his face. She smirked, she surprised him at coming here without letting him know and that made her happy.

Still, the males around her weren't giving up with the staring.

"Do you ever get used to it?" Rukia asked to the girl next to her.

The pink haired girl looked at her and sighed.

"Not really" she said "but greeting them with the middle finger helps sometimes."

Rukia chuckled at that.

"So…" the girl said "my name's Riruka and I'm here because this is better than the other school, believe it or not, what's your story? How does a rich girl end up in this place?"

Rukia shrugged.

"I'm not rich" she said "and I came here on my own free will."

Riruka crossed her arms.

"Saying that you're not rich it's like saying that I'm blonde" she said "the way you walk, the way you sit, even the way you grab your pencil gives you away. Come on, share your story."

Rukia looked at the girl sitting next to her and frowned.

She looked mean but she guessed that it came with the territory, being the only girl in a class could be quite intimidating. Rukia smiled, this was her chance at having a female friend, a chance to forget about the bitches in the convent, but could she trust her? She wasn't sure, sighing she looked at the pencil Riruka was holding and her eyes widened.

"Oh my God" Rukia said "I'll tell you what, you and I, we're going to be friends."

Riruka smirked.

"You're weird" she said "but sure, in exchange of what?"

"In exchange of you taking me this afternoon to the store in which you buy that Chappy pencil."

Riruka's eyes widened as she saw the pencil she was holding.

"Deal" she said looking at Rukia "anyone who appreciates Chappy is my friend, so I'm guessing that we'll get along just fine."

Rukia smiled at that, she didn't have doubts about it.

* * *

"Everything's in order" Kurosaki Isshin said smiling.

Ginrei sighed.

"That's what I told them" he explained "but my son wouldn't believe me."

Isshin nodded as he started to put away his stethoscope.

"I cannot blame him, you look tire Ginrei-sama" he said "I suggested your retirement because a little bit of rest would be beneficial for you, and now you're retired but you don't look more at ease."

Ginrei looked at the doctor in front of him.

Kurosaki Isshin had met Byakuya at college and while they both studied different things they somehow manage to maintain a weird friendship. He had been an amazing friend and he was in charge of monitoring the health of every member of the Kuchiki clan. He knew he could trust him and Ginrei felt the need to let everything out of his system.

"Do you remember Rukia?"

Isshin nodded smiling.

"Byakuya's little princess" he said "he sent her to study overseas for what he told me, I never asked the details, did something happen?"

Ginrei shook his head.

"She doesn't want to come back home" he explained "I do not know how to convince her."

Isshin sighed.

"She's near Ichigo's age, right?" he asked "Byakuya was really overprotective with her, ever since she was born so I never met her personally but I'm guessing that she must be having a good time, youngsters appreciate freedom more than anything."

Ginrei sighed.

"I don't know what to do" he said "I wanted to spend my retirement with her by my side."

Isshin put a comforting hand on Ginrei's shoulder.

"Don't worry" he said "for what Byakuya told me that girl adores you, give her some time, she'll come around eventually."

Ginrei nodded.

He prayed that Rukia would listen to him once they found her.

* * *

**There's something about this story that makes me happy, really.**

**Guys, thank you so much for your reviews! It means a lot to me, they help me to keep myself inspired!**

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**Jobananasan: Your reviews always cheer me up, I love them so much! I answered your question regarding her grandparents on this chapter, I was going to put that later on but I found it suitable for the conversation, I hope you liked this chapter and I cannot wait to read your comments! Take care, kisses! **

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**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Rukia took a deep breath and smiled.

She never expected to feel so much freedom inside a school, it was interesting. Right now she was on the rooftop eating lunch with Riruka. The pink haired girl took her to the cafeteria but they both decided that they didn't want to eat surrounded by males so, after both bought their lunch, Riruka decided to show her the rooftop.

According to her it was her secret space.

Although it wasn't really a secret but everyone around school knew better than to bother Riruka, so there was no need to worry about intruders.

"So" Riruka said "you already saw the cafeteria and most of the classrooms, is there anything else that you don't know about schools?"

Rukia nodded.

"Well, what about physical education? Is that hard?" she asked.

"Oh" Riruka said "we have that tomorrow, physical education is fine I guess, although our teacher is a psychopath."

Rukia tilted her head confused.

"Psychopath?" she asked.

"His name is Zaraki Kenpachi" Riruka said "you'll meet him tomorrow."

Rukia frowned, for some reason the name sounded familiar to her. She was about to mention that to Riruka when the rooftop's door opened violently and Ichigo walked towards her in an all business manner. Rukia smirked devilishly at him.

"Carrot top" she greeted happily "you don't seem happy to see me."

Ichigo crossed his arms angrily.

"What the hell, midget?!" he asked "I thought that I wouldn't see you until the afternoon."

Riruka observed the exchange curiously.

"I got bored and besides, I told you I wanted a normal life and this" she said pointing all around her "is a normal life for a girl like me."

Ichigo sighed.

"Fine" he said resigned "I suppose is better if you're here, how did you manage to let the Principal let you stay?"

Rukia gulped.

She didn't want to tell him, at least not for now, that Ukitake-sama was one of her father's friends. Otherwise it would be too easy for Ichigo to connect the dots and figure out who her father was, so flashing him with a wide smile she decided to lie to him.

"I just told him that I really wanted an education" she said "no more details were needed."

Ichigo frowned, he doubted that but he decided not to press her with more questions, she could always explain later. He looked at Riruka who was looking at him with a funny expression.

"What?" he asked her.

Riruka shrugged.

"Nothing" she answered and Ichigo turned to look at Rukia again.

"Listen" he told her "I'll leave earlier because my boss has been calling me, apparently he wants me at the office. Will you be okay? Do you know how to get home?"

Rukia nodded.

"Don't worry, carrot top" he told him "I'll go shopping with Riruka and then I'll get home."

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, somehow he still didn't trust her around the city.

"Fine" he said finally "see you later then."

Once he left the rooftop and closed the door behind him Riruka looked at Rukia questioningly.

"What was that?"

Rukia smiled.

"I told you, I'll explain everything once we get to the mall" she said "besides, I didn't like this food we might need to eat something else."

Riruka nodded.

"Cafeteria food is the worst type of food" she agreed.

* * *

When Kurosaki Ichigo stepped into his office Ukitake couldn't help but to smile.

"Ichigo" he greeted warmly "what brings you here?"

Ichigo bowed respectfully.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Ukitake-san" he apologized "it's just that Byakuya has been texting me, he wants me earlier in the office, is it okay with you? I already told Renji to give me the homework later."

Ukitake smiled kindly at him.

"There's no problem, Ichigo" he said "just be sure to drive safely and give my regards to Byakuya."

Ichigo nodded.

"Thank you, Ukitake-san" he said and was about to leave the office but Ukitake stopped him.

"Ichigo" he said "I was wondering, have you talked with Rukia?"

Ichigo blinked and looked at Ukitake, what did he mean by that? Ichigo was sure that Rukia had lied to Ukitake in order to stay at the school. Did she told him that he knew him? Or perhaps she didn't lie, it was a possibility. He really needed to talk with the midget so they could get their versions in order.

"Yeah" Ichigo answered finally.

"Ichigo, don't worry" Ukitake said after seeing his defensive pose "I know everything about Rukia."

"Everything?" Ichigo asked and Ukitake nodded.

Ichigo sighed and took a seat in front of Ukitake's desk.

"I never meant to hit her with Byakuya's car, I swear" he said solemnly.

Ukitake laughed at that.

"She mentioned that you hit her with the car but she doesn't remember that part" he said smiling "don't worry about it, I was just wondering, are you okay hiding her? Is it okay for her to stay at your house? Isn't it difficult with Byakuya so close to you?"

Ichigo blinked.

"Well, we've been together for a few days but for now my job schedule hasn't been a problem for us to spend time together" he said confused "is not like Byakuya shows a lot of interest in my personal life."

Ukitake's eyes widened at Ichigo's confusion, what did Ichigo mean by that?

"Ichigo" he said carefully "do you know who Rukia's father is? Do you know her last name?"

Ichigo shrugged.

"No" he answered simply "I mean, she told me that her father is a crazy bastard so that's enough for me, and she doesn't want to use her last name anymore so I didn't pressure her with questions."

Ukitake wanted to laugh at the stupidity of the situation, Ichigo was completely unaware that his boss was Rukia's father. Could it be that…?

"Does Rukia know who you work for?" he asked curiously.

Ichigo shook his head in negative.

"No" he said "she has never shown interest in my work and you know that the Kuchikis have a strict privacy policy. The only ones who know who I work for, besides my family, are you and Renji."

Ukitake couldn't believe it, that's why Rukia was so comfortable relying on Ichigo, she didn't have an idea of how close to Byakuya she actually was. The worst part was that Ichigo was as oblivious as her, he just called his boss a "crazy bastard" and he didn't know. He thought about warning Ichigo but, would it be wise? No, it wouldn't be, in the end Ukitake decided to keep the information for himself, it would be funny to see the whole thing unfold.

"Is everything okay, Ukitake-san?" Ichigo asked "why are you asking me this?"

Ukitake cleared his throat.

"Oh, it's just that I know who Rukia's father is" he said and Ichigo's eyes widened.

"That's why you let Rukia stay here, right?" the orange haired teenager asked.

Ukitake nodded.

"Is she in danger?" Ichigo asked "is he close?"

Ukitake shook his head.

"Ichigo, I won't tell her father anything" he assured him "you can relax, I accepted her in the school because I feel at ease knowing she's safe, I promised her that she would be okay here."

Ichigo visibly relaxed and Ukitake fought the urge to chuckle.

"I just want you to keep her close to you" Ukitake said "Rukia deserves more than anyone a normal school life, I want to make sure she enjoys her time here."

Ichigo nodded.

"I'll make sure she's okay" he told him "I don't know how to explain, really, but after seeing her for a while I got to the conclusion that she deserves a little bit of happiness, I think I can help her with that."

Ukitake nodded at that.

"Thank you, Ichigo" he told him "I trust you and I hope you can trust me with this, if you or Rukia need anything don't doubt to come to me, okay?"

"Yes" Ichigo said smiling "thank you, Ukitake-san."

* * *

Rukia noticed how Ichigo left a little bit before the last period and sighed.

His boss really was an asshole if he didn't give a fuck about his studies, was his work really that important? Well, it had to be otherwise he wouldn't panic over his boss's calls and messages. She noticed how everyone started to murmur at Ichigo leaving the room, weren't his classmates aware that he had to work?

"Why is everyone surprised?" she whispered at Riruka.

She shrugged.

"Everyone knows that Ichigo works" she explained "but no one knows what he does, there's a lot of rumors about it."

Rukia frowned.

"Do you know what he does?" Riruka asked her curiously.

Rukia shook her head.

"No" she said sincerely "and I don't want to know, his boss is an asshole and that's enough for me, I don't want to pressure him with questions about it."

Riruka nodded.

"I guess I agree with you" she said absentmindedly "well the last period is about to start, I can't wait to get out of here."

Rukia couldn't wait either, she was dying to go to the mall.

* * *

Ichigo parked on his reserved spot in the Kuchiki enterprise and walked with steady steps towards the elevator. He didn't know why Byakuya was so eagerly waiting for him, it was weird. On Saturday they told him how they wouldn't be able to attend the office this week and now they needed him earlier? Ichigo was confused as fuck.

Sighing heavily he pushed the button to go to the last floor. That was, according to Byakuya, one of the privileges of working alongside the upper branch of the enterprise. Ichigo and the Kuchikis were the only ones who worked on the top floor and no one could access without making an appointment previously. Once he reached the floor he stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the double door leading to Byakuya's office and knocked twice.

"Come in" he heard Byakuya say and opened the doors without hesitation.

Much to Ichigo's surprise Kuchiki Ginrei was there too.

"Ginrei-sama" Ichigo greeted with a smile "I didn't expect to see you here, did you get bored of retirement already?"

Ginrei chuckled and stood up to greet Ichigo.

"My boy" he said "would you believe me if I were to tell you that I missed Byakuya's constipated face?"

Ichigo chuckled.

"Not at all" he said and Ginrei laughed.

"Let me know when you're done making fun of me" Byakuya said coldly "then we can start talking about work."

"I'm sorry" Ichigo said with a smile that proved he was not sorry at all "your messages were surprising, I had to ask for Ukitake-san to let me go earlier, he sends his regards by the way."

Byakuya sighed.

"I just wanted to let you know that we won't be as busy as we thought we would" he said "is none of your business but a significant part of our problem was solved easily, therefore we'll be coming to the office as usual."

"That's great" Ichigo said puzzled "may I ask what's this problem about, perhaps I can help."

"No, you may not" Byakuya said crossly "and before you ask, that's not the reason why I requested your presence."

Ichigo waited for Byakuya to tell him what he needed.

"Oh, come on" Ginrei said while approaching Ichigo "hear me out, boy. I'm the reason Byakuya called you, I told him I could wait but he disagreed. The thing is that this whole week you'll be working with me, at the mansion."

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Yes, Sir" he said without hesitation and then added "why?"

Ginrei chuckled at Ichigo's puzzled face.

"I need to run several errands and you'll be with me the whole time" he explained "unfortunately I won't be able to ride with you on the motorcycle, obviously."

Ichigo chortled at the mental image of Ginrei on his motorcycle.

"Therefore" Ginrei continued "we'll have at our complete disposition Byakuya's shiny Audi, is that okay with you?"

Ichigo nodded, he knew how much Byakuya hated to lend him the Audi but Ginrei's humor made every single glare of Byakuya worth it.

"Well" Byakuya said obviously annoyed "then don't waste my time anymore and take my grandfather, you can leave the motorcycle here and pick it up at the end of the week."

Ichigo nodded.

"Sure" he said and after saying goodbye to Byakuya, who gave him the car keys frowning, he left the office along with Ginrei.

* * *

Rukia gasped and Riruka smirked.

"I know" the pink haired girl said "it's like paradise."

Rukia couldn't agree more.

She was in front of a store dedicated entirely to Chappy. There were phone cases, pillows, T-shirts and several of promotional articles, she looked around the store trying to take everything in and to memorize prices so she could come back with enough money. She never imagined that after her first day of school she would visit the mall so she left most of her money in Ichigo's closet.

"Hey, loser" Riruka called her to the other side of the store "here are the pencils."

Rukia walked towards her and grabbed three pencils.

"Are you sure you don't want to buy anything else?" Riruka asked her "you look like you want to take the whole store with you."

Rukia frowned sadly.

"I didn't bring enough money" she said.

Rukia looked around and pondered her options.

She knew she couldn't spend her money that fast. She had saved enough to survive at least six months but now she had her doubts, how was she going to afford living like a normal girl without her dad's money? She needed to find a part time job soon.

Or she could call granddaddy and ask for some money.

She shook her head at that idea, she wouldn't rely on her family any longer. Besides, Ginrei was dying to see her and she couldn't let him know where she was, she couldn't let herself be found that easily. Deciding that it would be bad for her wallet to stay longer at the store she decided to look around one last time and that's when she found a plushie, it was a limited edition Chappy plushie.

She gasped at the price.

"Oh" Riruka said frowning "it costs an arm and a leg."

Rukia gulped, she wanted the plushie badly. She checked her wallet and noticed how she didn't have enough cash, there was just no way she could buy it.

"If you really want it" Riruka said "why don't you use that card?"

Rukia looked at the debit card and sighed, she had stolen the card from her father's wallet the night before being sent to the convent.

She knew that the card had money, lots of money, it was from one of her mother's saving accounts, and if she wasn't mistaken her father kept saving money inside the account in case of emergencies. The reason why she was refusing to use it was because she didn't know if her father kept track of this account specifically, he was really careful when it came to money, but to keep track of his late wife's account? She wasn't sure.

According to what he told her once all of her mother's account were kept to assure savings for Rukia's future, so she could use it freely, right? Rukia decided that this was once in a lifetime opportunity so without wasting time he grabbed the plushie and exchanged a smirk with Riruka.

"That's the spirit" Riruka said approvingly.

* * *

"This is an honor" one of the security guards said after seeing Kuchiki Soujun stepping into the station "what brings you here, Kuchiki-sama?"

Soujun looked around the place and noticed how the policemen were looking at him with curiosity. He knew that he couldn't state his business so openly and in the middle of the station so without wasting time he asked for the person in charge.

"O-of course!" the guard stammered and directed him towards his boss's office.

The police chief was a thin, middle aged man who greeted Soujun respectfully and asked him what he needed. It was a good thing that the Kuchiki clan had good connections and a healthy relationship with the authorities, otherwise he wouldn't be greeted this way.

"You are in charge of managing the city's security footage, am I correct?" Soujun asked.

"Yes" the chief answered quickly "are you looking for something in specific? May I know the date?"

Soujun nodded.

"Would you believe me if I were to tell you that we, as a clan, are looking for a missing puppy?" he asked.

The chief laughed.

"Of course not" he said "but I know better than to ask questions, and the Kuchikis have been so generous in the last couple of years, it would be unthinkable to deny a favor to you or your family."

Soujun smirked.

"Well" the chief said finally while showing Soujun his computer "if you could simply give me the date in which this puppy was last seen?"

"Show me the footage of the center of the city from last weekend, please."

The chief nodded and played the videos.

* * *

Rukia ended up eating her hamburger while ignoring Riruka's astonished face.

She expected her to be surprised after hearing her story. Rukia supposed that it wasn't a common occurrence for a novice to escape but she didn't find it that weird, still Riruka had been processing the information for five minutes. Rukia told her everything, her escape, Ichigo saving her, she deciding to live with him and of course she also told her about her family.

"Does Ichigo know that you're a Kuchiki?" she asked.

"No, he doesn't need to know" Rukia answered "you're the only one who'll know."

Riruka promised to keep the whole thing a secret.

Rukia also explained why she was hiding from her family and her plans of getting the control of her own life.

"Well" Riruka said "you have my support, you said it yourself we're friends so I'll help you."

"Thanks" Rukia said sincerely.

"You know" Riruka said pensively after a while "perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to use the card, Kuchiki Byakuya might track you."

Rukia shrugged.

"I thought about it" she said "but even if he tracks me there he won't find me, I won't use it again so he'll hit a dead end."

Riruka nodded.

"It makes sense" she said "so, now that we're done here what else do you want to do? We still have some time."

"I want to buy something for Ichigo" Rukia said smiling.

Riruka nodded and both of them continued to look around the mall.

* * *

He replayed the tapes until he saw her, he didn't expect to see her so his breath hitched for a second. It was Rukia, there was no mistake.

She was wearing a blue sundress and she was smiling while looking around, she looked up at the sky and then stepped into a store. Luckily he recognized the store's name, this proved that Rukia was really in Karakura and that satisfied him, what he found weird was the fact that Rukia was alone, completely alone.

He thanked the officer and assured him that he had seen more than enough.

He obviously too a copy of the footage with him.

* * *

"Ginrei-sama" Ichigo said while arranging everything around the room into boxes "don't get me wrong, you know I appreciate your trust, but why am I moving all of this?"

Ginrei smiled as he saw the young Kurosaki carrying different boxes.

The truth was that the Kuchiki mansion had several guest rooms and Ginrei was preparing the bigger one for Rukia. When Ginrei found out that she was in Karakura he started the preparations, they still needed to pinpoint her exact location and to convince her to come back but he wanted everything to be ready and he didn't want to do it alone, he enjoyed Ichigo's company so he selected him for the task.

"Sorry, my boy" he said "it's just that we're waiting for a special guest and I wanted to take care of her room personally, but since I'm old I cannot do it by myself, you'll have to let me abuse of your kindness."

Ichigo nodded not bothered by that at all.

Ginrei-sama was an amazing company.

"It's okay" he said "this is entertaining, who is this guest?"

"Oh" Ginrei said "I cannot tell you, but I'll introduce you to her once she's here."

Ichigo nodded and kept moving boxes inside the room. Ginrei didn't tell Ichigo but he would make the boy drive him around town, he knew there was a chance he would find Rukia like that.

The orange haired teenager would help him without knowing.

* * *

Soujun stepped into the office and ran towards Byakuya's computer.

Byakuya didn't intervene in whatever his father was doing but he showed the same shocked face as him when he saw Rukia walking around the Karakura streets without a care in the world. He recognized the street in which she was and cursed under his breath, that was a spot near his own house, was she really that close to them? He couldn't believe it.

"She's alone" Byakuya said and Soujun nodded.

"I noticed that too" he admitted "now look at the name of the store she visited."

Byakuya's eyes widened.

"You won't like this, son" Soujun said "but it's time for you to visit Yoruichi Shihouin."

Byakuya frowned and nodded.

He was about to tell his father how he didn't fancy going to that store at all but his cellphone rang. He answered on speaker while playing his daughter's footage again, it was weird to see Rukia after so much time, even if it was in a video, she looked healthy and that made Byakuya sighed with relief.

"_Lord Kuchiki"_ the person at the phone said _"my apologies, I do not wish to interrupt your busy schedule." _

It was his accountant.

"Is something wrong?" Byakuya asked.

He liked to keep track of his money and accounts on his own, but he hired an accountant to assure his father that there would be no mistakes when it came to their savings. In fact, they kept such a nice track of the accounts that it was weird to receive a call like this.

"_Ehm… yes"_ the accountant answered _"I was sending you the last week's transactions when I received the notification of one of your debit cards being used just hours ago." _

"Debit card?" Byakuya asked bewildered "which one? Where?"

"_That's the thing"_ the accountant said _"the debit card hadn't been used in years, it belonged to your late wife, Sir. It's one of the ones you kept for your daughter's savings." _

Byakuya's eyes widened.

"Where was it used?"

The accountant cleared his throat, clearly nervous.

"_It was at a Chappy store, in the Karakura mall"_ the accountant said _"I called the store, and apparently the owner of the card used it to buy a limited edition plushie."_

Soujun gaped.

"Thank you for the report" Byakuya said "there's no need to fret, I know who used the card and the next time you get notified again you must call me immediately."

"_Understood, Sir"_ the accountant said and Byakuya hung up.

Soujun laughed at Byakuya's face.

"Perhaps my granddaughter is on a shopping spree" he suggested and Byakuya pinched the bridge of his nose.

Now he had to visit Yoruichi and the freaking Chappy store, this wasn't his day.

* * *

When Ichigo stepped into his room he noticed Rukia jumping excitedly on his bed while hugging a rabbit plushie. He closed the door behind him and frowned at all the shopping bags on his floor, how much did she buy?

"Midget, what the hell?" he asked and Rukia smiled at him.

"Carrot top!" she said happily "welcome back!"

Ichigo blinked surprised.

"Thanks" he said while trying not to smile back, why was she so happy? Her smile was contagious.

"Shopping malls are amazing" she said and then looked around her bags "I finally ate a hamburger, I missed those so much, and the Chappy store is a dream! I'm telling you, I thought I had died and went to heaven."

Ichigo helped her to take the things out of the bags. He noticed some pencils and notebooks, a new backpack and what seemed to be a new pair of shoes, well at least she bought school things. She really needed those.

"Midget, please tell me that you didn't spend all of your money" Ichigo said as more girly things started to fill his room "you have to be responsible if…"

"Don't worry!" Rukia said while taking out another plushie from another bag "this one is for you, his name is Kon, the owner said that no one wanted him so I felt bad for him."

Ichigo grabbed the plushie, apparently it was a lion. It looked quite funny and he could already picture Yuzu's excited face if she were to see it. Then he looked at the other plushie, the rabbit, it looked expensive as fuck and it was way bigger than the lion, he would have to hide that one on laundry day otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain why he had it.

"Thanks" he said finally "listen midget, I talked with Ukitake-san, how come he knows your father?"

Rukia's smile faded as she started to organize her things.

"You can put your school stuff along with mine" Ichigo said "the closet might be too crowded otherwise."

Rukia nodded.

"What did Ukitake-sama tell you?" she asked finally "I didn't want you to know because, you know, I don't want to involve you with my father."

Ichigo shook his head.

"Don't worry about it" he said "he didn't tell me anything about him, he just told me that he knew him and that he wanted to help you."

Rukia chuckled.

"Well, Ukitake-sama has always been kind with me" she said finally "well, everyone's been kind with me, you, Ukitake-sama and Riruka, I told her everything and she promised to keep the secret."

Ichigo sighed as he picked another bag.

"Great" he said "you know, I'm glad you two became friends, I've never seen Riruka having fun with someone. You're her first friend probably."

"Well" Rukia said smiling again "she's my first friend too."

Ichigo looked at her offended.

"Really? So what am I?" he asked frowning and Rukia chuckled.

"Let me rephrase" she said while punching Ichigo playfully on the shoulder "she's my first _female _friend, happy?"

Ichigo shrugged.

"Perhaps."

Rukia laughed and took a step back, she didn't notice there was another plastic bag on the floor so she gasped as she lost balance. Ichigo tried to stop her fall but he ended up losing his balance too and before he noticed he was on the floor on top of Rukia.

"Fuck" he said "sorry midget I…"

He never got the chance to finish his sentence, his bedroom door opened violently and Ichigo gaped as he saw one of his least favorite persons stepped dramatically into his room.

"Cousin!" Kaien yelled and Ichigo paled "I just heard…"

Ichigo noticed how Kaien stopped talking as he observed the compromising scene before him.

"I'll kill you!" Ichigo said while standing up and dragging Kaien inside before he could say anything else.

Rukia wondered, as she saw Ichigo closing the door to lock inside the intruder, why he never mentioned he had a twin.

* * *

**So much happening this time, I seriously needed to study and somehow this came out, I needed to write it badly. I hope you like this chapter, I'm trying to update all of my pending stories to help you guys to get distracted during quarantine, hopefully it's working. **

**Now, this story doesn't get as many reviews as the other ones but I still appreciate every single one of you, really. **

**Haru000: Thank you so much for your review! Don't worry, I have planned lots of things between Ichigo and Rukia before the Kuchikis find her. I hope you liked this chapter, let me know! Kisses! **

**Lydia404: Thank you for your review! I really appreciate it! Oh, don't worry, Byakuya will have to go through a lot before reaching his daughter, I promise. Let me know if you liked this chapter, kisses! **

**Jobananasan: I loved your review! Thank you so much! I also love Renji and Ichigo together, they're my favorite duo of idiots. Hopefully you liked this chapter, let me know. Kisses! **

**Nejes: Thank you so much for your review! Let me know if you liked this chapter, take care and kisses!**

**RukiYuki: Thank you so much for your review! Let me know if you liked this chapter! Take care! **

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Riruka opened her drawers and started to take out all of her old earphones and chargers, she frowned at how messy everything was. She would have to put everything in its respective place again, still she didn't give up and once she found what she was looking for she smiled and took it out.

It would be the perfect gift.

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia were standing side by side while looking at Kaien who was smiling widely at them.

"Cousin!" Kaien said happily "I'm so glad! I'm so relieved!"

Ichigo glared at him.

"About what? Shouldn't you be apologizing for getting into my room without knocking?!"

Kaien shook his head.

"I knew you weren't gay! I've been trying to convince Uncle Isshin for years and now I finally have some proof!" he said while hugging Ichigo "he is going to have grandchildren in the future! He'll be so happy!"

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.

"Get off me, idiot" he said coldly without hugging his cousin back "before I break your fucking nose."

Kaien nodded and looked at Rukia.

"Nice to meet you" he said offering his hand "my name is Shiba Kaien and I'm this idiot's cousin."

Rukia smiled and took his hand.

"My name's Rukia" she said politely "nice to meet you too."

Kaien's eyes widened.

"Oh, you're the new student" he said surprised "a few boys at school were talking about you."

Rukia blinked.

"Really?" she asked startled, she hadn't met any boys from school yet. She only knew Ichigo and Renji.

"Yes" Kaien said smirking "well, they mostly talked about how pretty you are."

Ichigo frowned at Rukia's blushing face.

"Hey, idiot" Ichigo said coldly to Kaien "unless you want me to tell your girlfriend how you're flirting with the new girl…"

"Don't threaten me, cousin" Kaien said quickly "you know how much I love my girlfriend! I just came to beg for food, my sister left for a trip and my fridge is empty."

"So?" Ichigo asked, not caring about his cousin's hunger.

"So I called sweet Yuzu and I asked her if I could have dinner here" he explained casually "she said that it was okay, although I never expected you to have a guest."

Ichigo sighed heavily and looked at Rukia.

She nodded seriously back at him, she didn't know if she could trust Ichigo's cousin so it was up to him to decide what to tell him. While she knew that Ichigo, Renji and Riruka knew mostly everything she didn't want anyone else to know about the convent, it was quite embarrassing. She looked at Ichigo hoping that he would understand and much to her surprise he apparently did.

"Listen, Kaien" Ichigo said with a serious tone "no one knows Rukia is here, no one has to know, she's running away from her house and looking for a life on her own. I'm just helping her."

Kaien's eyes widened as he looked at Rukia.

"Really?" he asked.

Rukia nodded.

"Can you keep the secret? Please?" she asked shyly.

Kaien crossed his arms and looked at Ichigo.

"You're not telling me everything" he said accusingly.

"Obviously" Ichigo said and Kaien sighed heavily.

"Well" Kaien said "I do owe you a couple of favors, dear cousin."

There was a silence of a few seconds in which Kaien closed his eyes as if contemplating the whole thing. Ichigo groaned inwardly, he knew how much of a drama queen Kaien was, so he was obviously simply playing with them. Unfortunately, Rukia didn't know him that much so she bit her lower lip nervously while waiting for his answer, Ichigo promised himself to punch Kaien at some point for worrying the midget.

"Fine" he said finally smiling widely at Rukia "your secret is safe with me, I just have one condition!"

"Condition?" Rukia asked carefully.

Kaien nodded enthusiastically.

"You have to come to my beach party" he said "is in two weeks and I always invite some people from the school."

Rukia smiled at that.

"Deal!" she said, she had never been to a beach party before.

"What the fuck?" Ichigo asked angrily "why the beach party?"

Kaien smiled devilishly at his cousin.

"Because you never go" he said as a matter of fact "but something tells me that you will not refuse this year."

Rukia tilted her head confused as Ichigo glared at his cousin.

He was right, after all there was no way he was going to let Rukia go on her own to one of Kaien's parties.

Ichigo felt the sudden need to tell Yuzu to poison Kaien's food.

* * *

Byakuya parked outside the store and sighed.

He didn't want to do this, he didn't want to give explanations and he knew deep down that the woman inside the store would make him feel as if he had committed a crime. According to his grandfather he had committed an unforgivable mistake by leaving his young daughter under the care of nuns but he had already admitted that, so why was he still suffering the consequences? He didn't want to answer that to himself.

With resignation he stepped into the store and thanked the Gods the decision of coming alone.

"Oh my" someone said "am I dreaming? Or the Kuchiki heir himself has decided to pay my humble store a visit?"

Byakuya looked at the counter and there she was, Yoruichi Shihouin. She had a cat like grin, dark skin, purple hair and she was smoking a cigarette without a care in the world.

"I have a question" Byakuya said without hesitation "just answer me and then I'll be on my way."

Yoruichi laughed.

"You haven't changed Byakuya-boo!" she said and then smiled knowingly "I knew you would come, it was a matter of time."

Byakuya sneered.

"Oh, come on!" Yoruichi said "don't look at me like that, your current predicament is not my fault. You haven't found her, right?"

Byakuya shook his head in negative.

"Figures" she said proudly "she's a clever one, she's your daughter after all."

"How did you know it was her?" Byakuya asked coldly "you never met her."

Yoruichi chuckled.

"But I was a close friend of sweet Hisana" she said "don't act like you don't know that, they are almost identical, it was hard for me to hide my surprise when I saw sweet Rukia stepping into my store without a care in the world."

"Did she tell you anything?" Byakuya asked "we've been looking for her but…"

"But you won't find her" Yoruichi said coldly "and I won't tell you anything."

Byakuya glared at the dark skinned woman in front of him.

"She's my daughter!" he said angrily "I have the right to know!"

"Oh, go fuck yourself" Yoruichi said without reservations "I was proud of you Byakuya-boo, when I saw you at my wedding holding Hisana's hand I thought that you had finally come out of your fucking bubble!" she chuckled darkly "Hisana said that you made her the happiest and both of you were blessed with a daughter."

"Go straight to your point" he said crossly.

"After Hisana's funeral you disappeared with your family and moved to Tokyo" she continued "Ginrei-sama said that you were being an attentive, loving father and I was still proud of you."

Byakuya looked aside pretending to be interested in the store's products.

"But you fucked up everything" she said finally "what the hell possessed you to send your only daughter to a convent? Not only that, but you actually managed to avoid her for a whole year, she begged you for years to go back home, what the hell is your problem?!"

Byakuya clenched his fists and scowled at Yoruichi.

"How do you know all of this?" he asked finally "my family matters are none of your business, my daughter was here, I know that. What did she tell you?"

Yoruichi shrugged.

"Byakuya-boo" she said smiling darkly "did you forget? I was a noble young lady, just like your daughter, and like her I also escaped."

Byakuya frowned.

"So, I'm picking a side in this little battle of yours" Yoruichi said finally "I'm taking your daughter's side, I know that Hisana would've supported me."

"I knew I shouldn't have come" Byakuya said finally.

"I can ask Kisuke" Yoruichi said "he would find her in a matter of days."

Byakuya raise an eyebrow.

"Your husband doesn't need to know about my family affairs" he said and then something clicked on his head "but you already asked him to investigate."

Yoruichi nodded.

"I was curious" she explained "that's how I knew about the convent and your daughter begging to go back, I was pretty disappointed."

Byakuya sighed.

"I loved Hisana as a sister" Yoruichi said "it pains me to think that her sweet daughter is alone in this city without her father's aid, why would you abandon Rukia like that?"

Byakuya looked at Yoruichi darkly.

"To protect her" he said finally "I never intended for her to be alone for so long, it just took a lot of time to make sure that she wouldn't be in danger in the outside world."

Yoruichi frowned.

"Protect her from what exactly?" she asked confused.

"You were Hisana's best friend" Byakuya said "why don't you draw your own conclusions?"

Yoruichi's eyes widened.

"Byakuya" she said worriedly "don't tell me that…"

"Since you're not going to give me information this conversation is over" he said and left the store without looking back.

* * *

Rukia listened to Ichigo preparing dinner with his family and sighed. It sounded fun and she found herself longing to be part of something like that. She lay down on Ichigo's bed and frowned at the ceiling. She wondered how her family was.

"Granddaddy sounded worried when I called them" she said aloud "but daddy didn't sound happy to hear me."

She covered her face with Ichigo's pillow and groaned.

She missed her family like crazy but she couldn't risk going back, what if they take her back to the convent? She wouldn't be lucky enough to escape a second time. Besides, her father would probably send Ichigo to jail for helping her and that was one of the main reasons why she didn't want Ichigo to find out that she was a Kuchiki. Her father was sort of famous in the business world, well most of her family was, so she didn't want to scare Ichigo by telling him her true identity.

She shook her head.

"He would probably panic" she reasoned aloud "is not worth the risk."

She didn't know why but she wanted to enjoy Ichigo's company a little bit more, she wanted to keep living in the closet and she wanted to get to know him better. She turned on the bed to face the window, the night was starting to fall and she was tired. Her eyes were starting to close when she heard a little noise against the window, like tapping, it happened again a few times and Rukia stood up to see what was it about.

She opened the window and her eyes widened when she saw Riruka holding some little rocks on her hand.

"Finally" Riruka said smiling "loser, can you come down? I have something for you."

Rukia nodded and stepped out the window, the process of going from the roof towards the street was quite tricky but she had always loved high places so it was entertaining for her. Once she was on the street Riruka approached her smiling.

"What's up?" Rukia asked "I thought your mom was quite strict with your curfew."

Riruka shrugged.

"She won't find out about this" she explained "anyway, this is quite new for me."

Rukia noticed how Riruka looked a little awkward.

"What's new for you?" Rukia asked confused.

Riruka rolled her eyes.

"This whole friendship thing" she said "listen, after what you told me about escaping the convent I figured out that perhaps the girls in there gave you a hard time."

Rukia nodded sadly. She hadn't told anyone about the treatments inside the convent, it was in the past so she didn't want to touch the subject, but Riruka was right. The girls were a huge part of the reason why she escaped.

"Well" Riruka said "this might come as a surprise for you, or perhaps not, but we have that in common."

Rukia's eyes widened.

"You'll see, loser" Riruka continued, ignoring her surprised face "the reason why I chose a school full of boys to study is because I had quite a few misunderstandings with a bitch from the other school. Long story short, she was my best friend and she betrayed the hell out of me, after that my life at school became quite unbearable."

"Did she bully you?" Rukia asked.

Riruka nodded.

"Yeah, her name's Senna" she said "I'm not an easy person to mess up with but she succeeded at that, anyway that's in the past and you're here now, and you didn't judge me for liking Chappy and you, like me, don't have female friends."

Rukia smiled at that.

"I have you now" she said "I told you, we're friends."

Riruka nodded.

"Exactly" she said "that's why I brought you something."

Rukia shook her head.

"You don't need to give me anything" she said "seriously."

Riruka ignored her.

"I was thinking" she said while rummaging her backpack "if you were to use the card again you might get into trouble but you also need some essential things that are not exactly cheap so I remembered I had this old thing."

Rukia observed how Riruka took out a smartphone of her backpack and handed it to her.

"It's old but it works well" she said "it still has my old number so there's no need to worry about going to a store, you have all the applications so you can also have a life on social media, although we should be careful in case your dad finds you on the internet and…" she paused after seeing Rukia's widened eyes looking at the phone "let me guess, nuns didn't have smartphones? Anyway, do you like it? It's not the latest model but…"

Riruka couldn't keep talking, Rukia had thrown herself at her and hugged her with all her might.

"Thank you!" she said happily and Riruka nodded.

"Anytime" she said "now let go off me, we're friends but I'm straight."

Rukia laughed and let go off Riruka.

"But if you're into girls I won't judge you" Riruka added "this is the twenty first century after all and being locked up with so many girls can do that to a person, I guess."

Rukia laughed harder and it was contagious so Riruka ended up laughing too.

Rukia was looking forward to go to classes tomorrow.

* * *

Byakuya stepped into the girly, pinky store and sneered.

It never occurred to him that Rukia would find the Chappy store so easily so he never thought about putting someone to watch it, although he considered it a waste of resources because it wasn't as if they could just approach Rukia out of nowhere. Sighing he looked around and wondered if Rukia inherited her love for cute things from Hisana, he couldn't remember his wife loving this kind of stuff.

"Now, Byakuya" Ginrei said "try to smile, we're a step closer of finding Rukia."

Byakuya and Soujun exchanged a wary look, he had insisted on coming to this store alone but Ginrei had already sent Kurosaki Ichigo towards his home and he wanted to go out and help to find Rukia.

Ever since Ginrei was informed that Rukia was in Karakura he had been chirpy and content he, for some strange reason, thought that Rukia wouldn't hesitate to come back if they were to find her. Byakuya knew deep down that Rukia loved Ginrei but he also knew about the iron will that Rukia possessed so he doubted that his daughter would simply agree to her granddaddy's wishes, she was his daughter after all.

The boy in charge of the store happened to be quite stupid, much to the Kuchikis disappointment. He was a teenager with glasses, braces and a disgusting beard attempt that Byakuya fought the urge to criticize aloud, this boy could have some information about his daughter so he would have to be patient with him.

"Hello" the boy said confused after seeing the men stepping into the store "how can I help you?"

Soujun sighed, perhaps they were an unusual sight inside the place. The boy was obviously used to seeing young girls into the store, not grown up men in suits.

Ginrei smiled kindly at the teenager.

"We're looking for information" he said "may we ask you a few questions?"

The boy hesitated a few seconds before nodding.

"I was about to close" he said "so I don't have much time."

"Then we'll make it quick" Soujun said coldly.

Byakuya noticed proudly how the boy recoiled with fear at his father's voice.

"Okay" the boy said nodding "what are you looking for? A new product?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"No" he said "we just want to see the footage of today's security cameras."

The boy clicked his tongue.

"I cannot help you" he said smoothly "you'll see, we don't have security cameras."

"What?" Soujun asked "what kind of store does not have security cameras?"

"Well" the boy said scratching the back of his head "they fired the previous employee because he would watch the footage just to, you know, watch the teenage girls around the store."

Byakuya, Ginrei and Soujun frowned at that.

"But it's okay now!" the boy said quickly "there are no cameras or perverted employees anymore."

Byakuya sighed.

"There was a girl in here today" he said in an all business manner "she bought a limited edition Chappy plushie and we're looking for her, can you give us any information?"

The boy crossed his arms, clearly frustrated.

"Sir" he said "do you have any idea about how many girls come around this store and buy plushies? Even if it was a limited edition it doesn't matter, those sell like candies. Girls are crazy about this rabbit for some reason."

Soujun fought the urge to yell at the boy in front of him and, without hesitation, took out his wallet and before anyone could ask what he was doing he showed the boy a picture of Rukia.

"There" Soujun said "perhaps this will help you to remember."

The boy frowned as he took the picture.

"Perhaps you'll need to be a little more…" he made a pause "convincing, Sir."

Byakuya glared at the boy who was looking not at the picture but a Soujun's wallet. The cards and money were evident so of course the boy thought he had hit the jackpot.

"Listen" Byakuya started to say threateningly but Soujun stopped him.

"Fine" he said taking a load of cash from his wallet and showing it to the boy "you tell me all the details you remember and this is yours."

The boy gulped and nodded.

"She was here with another girl" he explained quickly "they were both hard to ignore. The girl you're looking for has the most amazing eyes I've ever seen, she has creamy white skin and the legs are…"

"We already know about her physical appearance, boy" Byakuya said angrily "tell us something we don't know."

The boy seemed to ponder for a second.

"Well, she spent quite a while deciding what to buy" he said "she was with a pink haired girl, they were both speaking about what things to buy and where to eat later. When the raven haired one saw the plushie she hesitated a lot, I suppose that the price scared her."

Ginrei shook his head. No, the price didn't scare her. The fact that they could trace the card did, but the boy in front of him didn't need to know that.

"She surprised me when she paid with a card" he continued "then they left the store, that's all."

"That's all?" Soujun asked "what else can you tell us about the pink haired one? Is she a regular costumer?"

The boy frowned.

"Sir" he said "I don't get paid to remember all the girls that come around the store, I'm telling you, this is the only Chappy store in all Karakura, hundreds of girls come regularly."

Byakuya pinched the bridge of his nose.

"This is taking us nowhere" he said "perhaps this was a mistake."

Soujun nodded.

"Come on, boy" Ginrei said while taking out his wallet and smiling at the boy "give us a relevant detail, just one."

The boy gulped as his eyes widened at the prospect of getting more money.

"They were both wearing the uniform of Seireitei High School" he said quickly and Byakuya's eyes widened.

"Are you completely sure?" he asked bewildered "one hundred percent sure?"

The boy nodded.

"They even bought pencils and some school stuff" he said looking hungrily at the money "that's the most relevant information I can give you."

The Kuchiki men exchanged some looks and nodded. For now, it was enough, they gave the boy the money and they were about to leave when Ginrei stopped them.

"I think" he said "that since we're here we should buy a few things for Rukia, don't you think?"

Byakuya fought the urge to groan as Soujun nodded and started to pick things for Rukia's bedroom.

* * *

When dinner was over and Kaien had gone home Ichigo decided to wash the dishes. Since his father hadn't been able to get home early Ichigo left his dinner on the fridge so he could reheated later, then he prepared another dish and took it upstairs with him after saying goodnight to his sisters.

He wasn't ready to find Rukia already asleep on his bed of all places, she was hugging Kon. He thought that was weird, why wasn't she hugging the expensive looking rabbit? Sighing he put the food on his desk and took a seat next to her on the bed.

"Okay, midget" he said shaking her lightly "you need to have dinner and then you can sleep."

She mumbled something and hugged Kon tighter.

"Damn" Ichigo said "you're a heavy sleeper, aren't you?"

He noticed then how peaceful Rukia looked asleep. She was really pretty and, since the moonlight was the only thing that was illuminating the room at the moment, he couldn't help but think that she was as pretty as the moon. He chuckled at that thought, since when was he a sappy teenager? He stood up and took his phone of his pocket and took a picture of Rukia.

"Well" he said while taking a seat on his desk chair "I'll let you rest for a little while more, okay?"

Rukia mumbled something again and Ichigo sighed.

* * *

The next day Byakuya woke up earlier than usual and made his way towards his car, his father was already there and without saying anything else Byakuya started to drive towards their destination. They didn't talk until they arrived at Seireitei High School.

"I still think that perhaps the boy made a mistake" Soujun said as Byakuya parked outside the school "this is Ukitake's school, he would've informed you about Rukia's whereabouts if she had come here."

Byakuya frowned.

"That's a possibility" he agreed "but Ukitake has a soft spot for children."

Soujun looked at his son.

"Do you think Rukia convinced him not to tell you anything?" he asked "I don't think that's the case, he knows how much we love her."

Byakuya shook his head and got down of the car.

"We're getting answers today" he said "we might even go back home with Rukia."

Soujun nodded.

"Hopefully" he said and then frowned "doesn't Kurosaki Ichigo study here?"

"He does" Byakuya said "why?"

Soujun shrugged.

"We could always ask him" he said.

Byakuya scowled at that.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is unaware about Rukia's existence" he said "I won't let him know anything about our family affairs."

* * *

Riruka observed as Rukia groaned in front of the bathroom mirror, they were at the school bathroom waiting for the bell to ring.

"You look like shit" Riruka commented "what happened?"

Rukia groaned.

"This is all Ichigo's fault" she said as she tried to comb her hair "I was sleeping so well so I didn't hear the alarm and he didn't hear it either because he slept horribly."

Riruka scoffed.

"That sentence didn't make sense" she said "tell me everything again."

_Rukia was in cloud nine, she was feeling pure bliss as she was sleeping. It had been years since she had sleep in such a comfortable bed. She even thought about waking up late just to enjoy it a little bit more, she yawned and opened her eyes a little and the first thing he saw was Ichigo, he had fallen asleep on his desk. _

_Her eyes widened as she saw his awkward position. _

"_Ichigo" she said approaching him and shaking him a little "wake up, carrot top. You neck will hurt like that." _

_Ichigo opened his eyes slowly and looked at Rukia. _

"_Midget?" he asked with a hoarse voice and sleepy eyes that made Rukia blush. _

"_Yeah, are you okay?" she asked "we both fell asleep with our uniforms on." _

_Ichigo nodded tiredly and rubbed his eyes. _

"_I didn't want to wake you up last night" he explained and then looked at his clock._

"_Thank you but…"_

"_Never mind that, midget!" he interrupted her and stood up "we won't arrive on time to school, put on your socks and shoes!"_

_Rukia blinked. _

"_Uh?" she asked as she saw Ichigo running around his room, picking his school things. _

"_If we're late we'll have detention" he said "if I get detention I'll be late to work and if I'm late to work Bya…"_

"_Yeah" Rukia interrupted him as she started to run around the room too "your boss will kill you."_

_Ichigo nodded._

"_Wait for me at the front of the house" he said "I don't have the motorcycle, we'll go in my boss's car." _

_Rukia nodded and jumped through the window. _

"Oh" Riruka said smirking "that's why you have bed hair and a wrinkled uniform, you spent your night sleeping on Kurosaki Ichigo's bed."

Rukia frowned.

"Why do I get the impression you're enjoying this?" she asked.

"I'm not" Riruka said sincerely "but I would love to see the fangirls if they were to find out."

"What fangirls?" Rukia asked but she never got her answer because the bell rang.

Riruka and Rukia left the bathroom to go to class when they heard something that made them both freeze on their steps.

"Kuchiki-sama" a woman said "please, Ukitake-sama is barely starting to work, perhaps you could come another time?"

Riruka looked around the corner carefully and her eyes widened as she saw the Principal's secretary walking along with Kuchiki Byakuya and his father. These were bad news.

"Your father is here" she whispered to Rukia and the raven haired girl paled immediately.

"I have to leave the school" Rukia said "he cannot see me."

Riruka shook her head.

"You're not leaving me here alone" she said "the only one who needs to leave is your father. Follow me, I have a plan."

Rukia nodded and ran towards the opposite direction.

"What are we going to do?" Rukia asked.

"We'll make sure the Principal doesn't betray you and we'll ruin your father's day" Riruka said smirking.

Rukia smirked back and proud herself at choosing Riruka as a friend.

* * *

**You might be wondering why I updated so fast. Well, I'm procrastinating, I have to study A LOT but instead this chapter came out! I hope you liked it! **

**Now, to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter:**

**Haru000: Thank you so much for your review! Kaien's role won't be that important but I like him as a character, I hope you liked this chapter! Let me know, kisses! **

**Jobananasan: Thank you for your review! I hope I was able to explain why Rukia couldn't tell Ichigo everything yet, trust me it'll be huge when he finds out! I hope you liked this chapter, I'll be waiting for your review! Thanks again, take care! **

**Achalida: Thank you so much for your review! Byakuya will have to wait a little bit longer to get to Rukia! Let me know if you liked this chapter, kisses! **

**RukiYuki: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Thank you so much for your review! Let me know if you liked this one! Take care! **

**Inverse L. Reena: Muchas gracias por tu review, ¡me alegra mucho que te esté gustando la historia! Déjame saber si también te gusto este último capítulo, espero tu review. Besos y cuídate. **

**Nejes: Oh don't worry, that won't happen. This is an Ichiruki fanfic one hundred percent. Thank you so much for your review! I hope you liked this chapter, let me know. Kisses! **

**Scarease: Thank you so much for your review! Let me know if you liked this chapter, kisses! **

**Hikari Rhonda: I loved your review! I'm so happy you like the story! I hope you liked this chapter, let me know, okay? Take care and kisses! **

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Ukitake knew something was wrong the moment he saw Rukia and Riruka stepping into his office. Riruka, as usual, was frowning while Rukia looked pale and scared, Ukitake blinked surprised.

"Girls" he said calmly "classes already started, you'll be late."

Rukia shook her head.

"Ukitake-sama" she said desperately "please, tell me you didn't call them, you promised."

Ukitake frowned confused.

"What do you mean? I don't understand" he admitted sincerely.

"Kuchiki Byakuya is here" Riruka said in an all business manner "along with his father, if they see Rukia they'll take her away.

Ukitake's eyes widened, he noticed surprised how Riruka seemed to be aware of Rukia's situation. The fact that Rukia had found a friend so quickly was an interesting development, he was glad.

"I had no idea, Rukia" he said apologetic "now, don't worry. I'll make Byakuya leave."

"There's no time!" Rukia said "you know how daddy is, he won't believe you! He'll check the classrooms, I cannot go to class like this!"

Ukitake crossed his arms and pondered his options.

"Now" Riruka said impatiently after a few seconds "there's no need to panic, Ukitake-sama, we've come to ask for permission to create mayhem on your school."

Ukitake gaped.

"I shouldn't let you but…"

There was a knock on the door and Rukia's eyes widened. Time seemed to slow down as Riruka pulled her towards the storage cabinet on Ukitake's office and much to Riruka's surprise the white haired man helped them get inside and closed the door, both girls covered their mouths and listened intently. Luckily they weren't so big so there was enough room for both of them.

"Yes?" they heard Ukitake asking "who is it?"

Rukia tensed as she heard the door office opening violently and some people stepped inside. Her eyes widened, she was surprised at how easily she could tell her father was in the room, the confident steps were a complete giveaway, her hands were itching to open the door and see his face but it was not worth the risk.

"Byakuya!" Ukitake said and Riruka smirked at how honestly surprised he sounded "what brings you here? Oh and Soujun, it's been a while."

"Ukitake" Soujun greeted and Rukia closed her eyes tightly, she loved her grandpa's voice "it's a pleasure to see you, how have you been?"

"Oh, I can't complain" Ukitake said "although, you surprised me today. I didn't expect to see you, did something happen?"

There was a silence that lasted for a few seconds and Rukia could picture perfectly her father's annoyed face.

"Byakuya?" Ukitake asked finally "is something the matter?"

"Is Rukia studying in this school?" Byakuya questioned finally and Rukia rolled her eyes.

He would never change! Always straight to the point. Riruka nudged her slightly and Rukia looked at her questioningly, it wasn't until Riruka looked at her worriedly that she noticed how her eyes watered, she blinked the tears away. It was ridiculous, she knew she missed her family but to cry after hearing her father's voice? She couldn't believe herself.

"What?" Ukitake asked and Riruka smirked at how bewildered he sounded "Rukia?"

Byakuya scoffed.

"Yes, Rukia" he said "my daughter, is she here?"

"Byakuya" Soujun interrupted "would it kill you to be a little bit polite?"

Ukitake chuckled.

"Don't worry, Soujun" he said smoothly "Byakuya, Rukia is not here. How could she be? You sent her to a convent, remember? I suggested you to enroll her here, at my school, and you informed me that you sent her away."

"That's what I told him" Soujun said and Rukia could picture him smiling with relief.

"But, I don't understand" Ukitake continued "why are you asking me this? Did something happen to her? Weren't the nuns taking care of her?"

Rukia fought the urge to scoff, the nuns never took care of her.

"You'll see, Ukitake" Soujun said "she escaped from the convent just a few days ago, we're looking for her. This is a secret of course."

Ukitake gasped and Riruka covered her mouth tightly, it was funny to hear the principal lying to the highest scions of society. She was really enjoying the whole thing.

"That's horrible!" Ukitake said "why didn't you inform me? How can I help you?"

Byakuya sighed heavily and Rukia wanted to bet that he was pinching the bridge of his nose, it was one of his mannerisms.

"You don't need to do anything" Byakuya said coldly "we, for obvious reasons, don't want to make the information public and besides we have been tracking her so we're aware that she's in Karakura."

There was another long silence and Rukia's heart was beating faster, she wanted to peek outside and to see her father's expression.

"She's close" Ukitake said and Riruka hid her face on Rukia's shoulder to prevent her own laugh "but what makes you think she might be in my school?"

"Well" Soujun said "she has with her a debit card, she used it yesterday on a store and the employee informed us that she was wearing this school's uniform."

"It was impossible to hide our surprise" Byakuya said "after all, had you seen my daughter you would've informed me immediately, am I wrong?"

Rukia frowned, there he was with the threatening tone.

"Of course you're not wrong" Ukitake assured him "I don't understand what's happening, really. It's obvious that you're doubting me, but why?"

"You always liked children" Byakuya said as a matter of fact "and something tells me that perhaps Rukia convinced you to hide her."

Rukia and Riruka exchanged a panicked look.

"Oh, Byakuya" Ukitake said before laughing "I know how important Rukia is to you, so of course I would've informed you if she had come."

"Exactly" Soujun said "I'm sorry, Ukitake. You know how stubborn he is."

There was more silence and after a few seconds someone started to pace around the room. Rukia gulped, she was sure it was her father, the steps were moving closer to where she and Riruka were, she had no doubt. Riruka also noticed it because she grabbed Rukia's hand, they didn't want to imagine what were to happen if Kuchiki Byakuya were to open the cabinet.

Rukia's heart was beating frantically and judging by Riruka's sweaty hand she was also anxious as hell.

"Everyone keeps saying that" Byakuya said "everyone seems to know how important she is to me, everyone but her. She refuses to tell me where she is or with whom, I honestly cannot believe how stubborn she is."

"Well, she's your daughter" Ukitake reasoned "and she waited for you, didn't she? She might be scared, are you planning to send her back to the convent once you find her?"

The steps stopped right in front of the cabinet and Rukia closed her eyes tightly and started to pray. The nuns used to tell her how her prayers weren't the best but it was worth a try, she didn't want to face her father, not yet.

"What if I am?" Byakuya asked and Rukia heard his voice loud and clear, he was facing the cabinet, she didn't have any doubts.

Her heart broke all over again at the prospect of being sent back to that horrible place and she felt extremely angry. He didn't want her back at home, they lied when they talked over the phone! They just wanted to lock her again.

"Byakuya" Ukitake said seriously "Rukia is a young lady, if she escaped you cannot expect…"

"You wouldn't mind if I were to check the classrooms, right?" Byakuya asked interrupting him and Riruka heard him stepping away from the cabinet.

She sighed inwardly, that was a close call.

"Of course not" Ukitake said without hesitation "but please, listen to me. If Rukia escaped she needs you, she needs her father. What would Hisana-san say if she were to see that you have sent Rukia away? I remember how much you looked forward every day to go back home to your daughter, don't you want her to enjoy a normal life?"

There was another silence of a few seconds, although it felt like hours for Rukia. She wanted to hear her father's answer, she wanted to understand why he didn't want to be close to her.

"I'll be checking the classrooms then" Byakuya said "come with us, Ukitake."

Rukia heard him leaving the office.

"My apologies" Soujun said to Ukitake "ever since yesterday he's been in a really foul mood, he's worried sick about her."

"I can imagine" Ukitake said sadly "is he really going to send her back there when he finds her?"

"Of course not" Soujun said quickly "we're all dying to be at home with her but she doesn't want to forgive us."

"Well, go on" Ukitake said "I'll be with you in a minute."

Both girls heard Soujun leaving the office and waited for a few seconds until Ukitake opened the cabinet. Rukia and Riruka stepped outside and took deep breaths, Rukia rubbed her eyes furiously to get rid of the tears that were coming out.

"I'll go with them" Ukitake said "whatever you do, do it quickly."

Riruka's eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Ukitake nodded.

"I'll make sure to convince them that Rukia is not here" he said "so you're free to do whatever you had planned."

"Yes, Sir" Riruka said.

Ukitake smiled at her and then looked at Rukia.

"Don't worry" he told her while patting her head "he'll come to his senses eventually."

Rukia shrugged sadly.

"You shouldn't keep him waiting, Ukitake-sama" she said "you know how he is."

Ukitake nodded.

"Good luck, girls."

* * *

Ichigo kept looking at Rukia's desk worriedly.

For a second he thought that perhaps she fell asleep in the bathroom, it was a possibility but she was with Riruka, so he doubted it, where was the midget? Why wasn't she coming to classes? Sighing he tried to focus on whatever the teacher was saying but there was no use, how was he supposed to focus when the only thing inside his head was Rukia?

"Dude" Renji whispered next to him "calm down."

"I am calm" Ichigo whispered back.

Renji chuckled.

"Dude, you've been looking at her desk the whole time" he said smirking "calm down, even Ashido noticed already."

Ichigo scowled at that, and looked at the other side of the class. Kano Ashido was looking at him curiously.

"Problem?" Ichigo mouthed at him angrily, and Ashido looked at the teacher again.

"I hate that asshole" Renji said casually.

"Tell me about it" Ichigo said and then looked at Rukia's desk again "I'll stop worrying, I don't want that bastard to get the idea that I care about the midget."

Renji nodded.

"That's a wise idea" he said "do you think Ashido is still in contact with him?"

Ichigo scoffed.

"Probably" he said "the last time I saw him we ended up fighting, so I stopped answering his calls. I wouldn't put it past him to track me through someone else."

Renji shook his head exasperated.

Ichigo was going to tell him not to worry when the classroom door opened and the principal stepped inside. Every single student stood up and Ukitake smiled at them.

"Now, children" Ukitake said "please sit down, some friends of mine just want to check something, okay?"

Everyone sat down and Ichigo frowned confused.

"What's happening?" Renji asked and then Kuchiki Byakuya and Kuchiki Soujun stepped into the classroom.

Gasps and murmurs were heard and Ichigo's eyes widened.

"See?" Ukitake said calmly "this is the last classroom, have you found anything?"

"Yes, Byakuya" Soujun said "any bright young mind catches your attention? If someone does please let me know, then we can contact their parents so they can join our program."

Ichigo gaped and exchanged a surprised look with Renji.

"Dude" Renji told him worriedly "your boss wants to replace you! Did you know?"

Ichigo shook his head desperately. Was he losing his job? No one had informed him anything, the worst part was the fact that his job inside the Kuchiki enterprise was a secret so he just couldn't stand up and ask his bosses what was happening.

"Sir" Ikkaku said raising his hand "what program?"

"Well" Ukitake said "the Kuchiki enterprise…"

"No need to explain, Ukitake" Byakuya interrupted and then looked at Ichigo coldly "I believe I already found what I'm looking for, there's no need to see more classrooms."

Ichigo gulped. Does that mean that he still had his job? He didn't know, but the fact that Byakuya had come all the way to the school meant that he was planning to do something for the students? No, it couldn't be. The only reason why Byakuya let him work with him was because he was a close friend of his father, what were the Kuchikis doing on the school?

Soujun wanted to laugh hysterically at Ichigo's expression, he was probably wondering if he was fired. In order to hide the fact that they were looking for a girl they lied saying how they were creating a program for young minds, of course Ichigo didn't know anything and judging by his pale face he probably thought that they were looking for his replacement.

Soujun was thinking that Ichigo's expression made whole trip to school worth it.

* * *

Riruka was panting.

"Hear me out" she said to Rukia once they reached their destination "once I pull this you have to run, as fast as you can, towards the parking lot."

Rukia nodded.

"Yeah" she said "I understand."

Riruka smirked at her.

"Your father won't want to come around here anymore" she assured her.

"Oh" Rukia said smirking back "trust me, I know."

"Well, I'll see you on the Gym" Riruka said and counted to three and pulled down the fire alarm.

The alarm sounded extremely hard and Rukia didn't hesitate, she started to run as fast as her legs allowed her. A lot of things were motivating her but the main one was anger, she was angry at how her father was looking for her just to lock her up again so she wanted payback and she knew, better than anyone, one of her father's biggest weaknesses.

She was feeling pure adrenaline and before she could reach the exit door the sprinklers activated and it looked as if it was raining inside the school, she laughed out loud and imagined her father's expression at being soaking wet in the middle of lots of teenagers. She was completely drenched by the time she managed to exit the building and looking around the parking lot she identified her father's car in a matter of seconds.

"A Rolls Royce" she muttered bitterly "really, daddy? Not very humble of you."

She approached the car while making sure that no one would see her and once she was next to it she opened the door.

"I knew it!" she said excitedly.

The door was unlocked, Byakuya never locked his cars because he was always in places with tight security most of the time, like his house and the Kuchiki enterprise. Rukia was glad that some things never changed. It was impossible not to touch the seats so she prayed that they wouldn't get too wet and taking a deep breath she took the handbrake and released it.

She stepped out of the car carefully and closed the door, she thought about leaving it like that but she knew it wasn't enough, so trying to gather some strength she stood up behind the car and pushed it. Her eyes widened when she realized that it moved without much effort and she gasped when it started to move towards the soccer field.

"Goodbye, daddy" Rukia said smirking and ran towards the gym.

It was a good thing that she knew how badly Kuchiki Byakuya loved his cars.

* * *

Byakuya closed his eyes, completely enraged, when the sprinkles activated. Every single boy started to scream and cheer as the water fell onto them, and Soujun looked shocked at the ceiling. Was there really a fire? Why did the sprinkles activate?

"Now, boys" Ukitake said sternly "behave! We have guests, make a line and go towards the soccer field in order!"

"Ukitake-sama!" Ishida called from his spot next to the window "I don't think it's safe to leave towards there! There's a car going, uncontrolled, to that direction!"

Ichigo gulped.

"Car?" he asked fearfully "what car?"

Ishida looked at the window again.

"It's a black Rolls Royce" he said and every single boy of the class whistled.

"I've been dreaming about having one of those!" Ikkaku yelled and then laughed "what kind of idiot lets a car like that in the middle of a school?!"

Ichigo's eyes widened as he approached the window and to everyone's surprise Byakuya did the same.

"Shit!" Ichigo said as he saw the car speeding up towards the trees next to the soccer field.

"Stop it!" Byakuya ordered him and Ichigo nodded and left the room running.

The sprinkles never stopped working so Byakuya, who was now enraged beyond reason, looked at his soaked Armani suit.

This wasn't his day.

* * *

"_Well, at least is not the Audi"_ Ichigo thought as he ran through the hallways towards the exit.

It took him a while as he avoided all of the students who were leaving their classrooms making lines and cheering. Ichigo smirked, he didn't know why having their clothes and stuff wet made them so happy, but it was contagious and Byakuya's face when the sprinkles got activated was priceless too.

He was hoping he could reach the Rolls Royce on time, perhaps if he were to save Byakuya's second favorite car he wouldn't fire him.

* * *

When Rukia reached the gym she saw Riruka with a whole bunch of other students from different classrooms.

"Finally" Riruka said loud enough for anyone to hear "what took you so long in the bathroom?"

Rukia smiled.

"The sprinkles too me by surprise" she said equally loud "what happened?"

"Beats me" Riruka said putting an arm around her shoulders.

"I did it" Rukia whispered and Riruka smirked proudly at her.

"This way! This way!" A teacher was calling all of the students towards the gym "there's no fire but we need everyone here for safety reasons!"

Rukia blinked and looked around her. Everyone was drenched and smiling, perhaps the sprinkles saved everyone from boring classes, she noticed then how crowded the school really was and the fact that she was wet while surrounded by a bunch of boys made her blush slightly. She started to look for Ichigo around the crowd but the orange haired boy was nowhere to be seen.

"GUYS!" Kaien said stepping into the Gym and everyone turned to look at him. Rukia's eyes widened, so Kaien was at the same school as her, no wonder he knew about her before being introduced "my cousin is trying to save the Rolls Royce! Come and see!"

Rukia's eyes widened as every single boy inside the gym started to follow Kaien, ignoring the teacher's orders.

"That idiot is doing what?!" she asked and Riruka stopped her before she could move.

"Don't go" she said seriously "if Ichigo is trying to save the car your father will be close."

Rukia nodded, she could always hear the details later.

"Well" someone said approaching Rukia and Riruka "boys will be boys, right?"

Rukia looked curiously behind her at the person and her eyes widened, she was facing the prettiest girl she had ever seen. She was a tall, busty girl with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. Rukia gulped feeling a little intimidated.

"Rangiku-san" Riruka greeted smiling "I see that you have no problems with being drenched."

Rangiku chuckled.

"I won a wet T-shirts competition last summer," she explained excitedly "so this is like practice for me."

Riruka nodded and then looked at Rukia.

"This is Rukia" she introduced her "she's the new girl and a close friend of mine."

Rangiku's eyes widened as she saw Rukia from head to toe.

"Nice to meet you!" the busty girl said finally while throwing herself at Rukia and hugging her tightly "it's nice to see another girl around!"

"Thank you" Rukia said while blushing under Rangiku's embrace, she had been surrounded by girls for years but she couldn't remember anyone having such big… attributes.

"Rangiku-san" another girl approached them "you'll suffocate her!"

Rangiku let go off Rukia so she could greet the other girl. This one looked younger and had brown hair and brown eyes and a kind smile. Rukia smiled gratefully at her.

"Nice to meet you" she said "my name is Hinamori Momo."

"I'm Rukia" she said smiling "so, are there more girls in the school?"

Riruka shook her head.

"We're the only ones" she said smirking proudly "we didn't have lunch with Rangiku-san and Momo yesterday because our schedules aren't always the same, we already sent a complaint to the Pincipal's office."

"Hopefully he'll answer positively" Rangiku said "I could use more female company at lunch time."

Riruka chuckled.

"You could always transfer to the other school, you know" she said casually "the girly one."

Rangiku scoffed.

"And leave behind the male attention? Never" she said and Rukia noticed how some boys were admiring Rangiku from a safe distance "besides, who else would take care of sweet Hinamori if I'm not around?"

Riruka rolled her eyes.

"The same boy for whom she is in here" she said smirking "Hitsugaya Toushiro."

Rukia noticed how Momo blushed slightly and looked aside.

"He's just my childhood friend" she excused herself "besides, this school is the best around Karakura, my parents insisted that this would be the best for me."

"So, what's your story Rukia-chan?" Rangiku asked curiously "what brought you here in the middle of the semester?"

"Well…" Rukia said "I'm new in town and Ichigo is a friend of mine so I thought that studying near him would be convenient."

"Oh" Rangiku said smiling "it's a good thing that Kurosaki finally has someone pretty by his side, do you like him? If you do I congratulate you on your choices, he's one of the few boys who's actually worth something around here."

Rukia tilted her head confused.

"Are the other boys really bad or something?" she asked "I haven't met anyone else yet."

Hinamori shrugged.

"Is not that they are horrible, but since they don't see girls very often they don't really know how to interact with us" she explained "I'm the only girl between the freshmen and Rangiku-san is the only one between the juniors, you are lucky to have Riruka with you."

Riruka nodded.

"I must say that Rukia's appearance improved my sophomore year considerably."

Rukia smiled at that.

Some cheering was heard and Rukia frowned.

"Perhaps Ichigo managed to save the car from crashing" she said bitterly "why would he do that?"

Riruka crossed her arms.

"Well, it takes a rich boy to actually recognize a car's value" she reasoned "perhaps he couldn't stand the sight of a Rolls Royce getting ruined."

Rukia's eyes widened.

"Wait, what?" Rukia asked shocked "Ichigo is rich?"

"You didn't know?" Riruka asked surprised "you've been to his house several times! How come he never told you?"

Rukia blinked, Ichigo's house was normal, wasn't it? His room had an average space and there were no signs of him actually having a luxurious life.

Rangiku chuckled at Rukia's confused expression.

"Oh, don't worry Rukia" she said "it's not as if it is public knowledge, you'll see rumor says that Ichigo hides that because it brings him undesired attention. Besides, his father is really humble about the whole thing, Ichigo even got a job on his own so he could earn his own money and be independent as soon as he graduates."

Hinamori blinked.

"How do you know all of this?" she asked curiously.

"Kaien told me" she said smiling widely.

Riruka rolled her eyes.

"Well" the pink haired girl said finally "it's not as if Ichigo can hide that part of his life extremely well."

"Why?" Rukia asked.

"Because his father is the owner of the biggest hospital around town, the Kurosaki Hospital" she explained "I read in the newspaper that they'll open new operative branches in Tokyo really soon."

Rukia remembered then Ichigo's motorcycle, how come she never asked? It wasn't as if an average school boy would be able to afford that.

"Why did you say that being rich brings undesired attention towards Ichigo?" Rukia asked Rangiku.

"He has more than one fangirl in the girly school" Rangiku explained "but there's one in particular that didn't stop looking for him once she found out he was the Kurosaki heir."

Riruka huffed.

"It was Senna" she said and Rukia's eyes widened "she even stalked his little sisters and Ichigo is really protective of them, he was pissed."

Hinamori nodded.

"I heard about it" she said "apparently Ichigo's father even talked to Senna's parents about how he would never approve of Ichigo having a relationship with such a disrespectful girl, it was really messy."

"I bet" Rukia said while remembering the pictures that Ichigo showed her about Yuzu and Karin. How could anyone stalk little girls? She decided that she never wanted to meet that Senna girl.

"Look" Rangiku said "Kyoraku-sensei is calling the students back to the classrooms, we should go."

Rukia nodded as she followed them towards the building.

* * *

"Yes!" Ichigo said loudly as he stopped the car "I saved the car!"

Everyone cheered around him and he smirked proudly, he noticed how most of the school was watching but he still couldn't see Rukia anywhere. He frowned at that as he stepped out of Byakuya's car. The Kuchiki heir approached him and without making any comments he got inside the Rolls Royce and started the engine.

"Are you coming?" Byakuya asked his father.

Soujun scoffed and got inside the car too.

"Wait" Ichigo asked low enough so the crowd wouldn't listen to him "am I fired? What were you doing here?"

Byakuya merely looked at him.

"Come to the mansion after your classes" he ordered "you're not fired and no, I won't explain why I was here today."

Without saying anything else he accelerated and left the school grounds.

"Well" Ichigo said annoyed "you're welcome."

"Don't even try dude" Renji said next to him "this wasn't his day."

Ichigo nodded as he observed the crowd going back to their classrooms. He smiled as he saw Rukia walking next to Riruka, he couldn't wait to tell her about his heroic moment.

* * *

Ashido was the first one to step back into the classroom, he took advantage of the commotion to get back even before they were ordered to. He walked towards Ichigo's desk and took out his cellphone from his backpack, he smiled after noticing how it didn't have a password and without hesitation he started to browse through the picture's gallery.

His eyes widened after seeing a picture of Rukia, the new girl, sleeping comfortably while hugging an ugly plushie.

Without wasting time he took out his own cellphone and took a picture, and when he was satisfied he put Ichigo's cellphone back on his backpack. He could hear his classmates approaching so he took a seat on his usual desk and decided to send Rukia's picture with a message.

**To:** _Pantera._

"_I found this on Kurosaki's phone, apparently he has a new pretty toy. What do you think?"_

He received an answer almost immediately.

**From:** _Pantera._

"_I think that I like the new toy, I might have to test it first… it looks a little bit delicate. You'll hear from me soon."_

Ashido smirked and congratulated himself on a job well done.

* * *

**Well, there's something about this chapter that makes me happy. Although you're the true judges, so let me know what you think, okay? **

**Guys, I'm so excited. I finally approved my thesis! (Here in my country is the last project of college so I can graduate) NOW I JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR MY GRADUATION! So, yeah… I'll update my other stories because I'm happy and free! **

**Now, I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter:**

**Jobananasan: Oh yes, I already planned the bathing suit scene HAHAHA! We'll be seeing more Yoruichi in the near future! Thank you for your review, I know I always tell you I love them but I mean it! Let me know if you liked this chapter! Kisses and take care!**

**Bleach power: Rukia will cause more trouble for the Kuchikis before they can find her, I promise! Thank you so much for your review, hopefully you liked this chapter! Thanks again, kisses! **

**Nejes: Oh, I know! I love them as friends! Thank you so much for your review, kisses! **

**RukiYuki: Oh, don't worry! It'll take more time before he finds Rukia, thank you so much for your review! Take care, kisses!**

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Yuzu looked down at the bento box she was carrying and sighed heavily.

"What is it, Yuzu?" Karin asked while looking at her sister's crestfallen expression.

They were enjoying a free period while walking with their friends towards the school yard. Both, Yuzu and Karin, loved the free periods so it was weird for Yuzu to have such an unhappy face.

"It's just that Ichi-nii forgot his lunch" Yuzu explained "he's been eating a lot more these last few days, have you noticed?"

Karin nodded.

"Yeah," she said "he's been carrying lots of food towards his room every night."

"That's why I prepared this big bento box for him today" Yuzu said crestfallen "and he forgot! You know how much he hates his school's food, what if he starves to death?"

Karin chuckled.

"He won't starve" she said amused "but I see your point."

Yuzu sighed again and Karin made a choice.

"Tell you what" the black haired girl said "we'll go to Ichi-nii's school and we'll give him his lunch, I brought my bicycle so we'll go now and that way we'll come back before the next period starts."

Yuzu's eyes widened.

"Are you sure? Can we make it on time?" she asked.

Karin smiled cockily.

"I'm fast with the bicycle and Ichi-nii's school is pretty close" she said confidently "come on!"

Yuzu followed her sister happily.

Neither of them noticed the purple haired girl listening to their conversation.

* * *

Rukia sneezed and Riruka looked at her questioningly.

"What's up?" she asked curiously "getting a little wet was too much for you?"

Rukia frowned.

They were walking back towards their classroom and Rukia was shivering. It had been a while since she had gotten sick but it wouldn't be weird for her to get the flu so fast, she had inherited her mother's health and that was a curse. Rukia sighed, it couldn't be that bad, right? The last time she had a crisis she was in the convent and it happened in the middle of winter but now she was in the sunny Karakura town and it was not winter yet.

She would be okay, right?

"Loser" Riruka said as they stepped into the classroom "you look pale."

Rukia took a seat on her desk and sighed heavily. Looking around she noticed how some boys were already chatting loudly while enjoying the teacher's absence, she considered a good thing that no one was paying attention to her.

"I fucked up" she said lowly so only Riruka could hear her "I forgot my medicine back at the convent."

"Medicine?" Riruka asked confused "are you under some special treatment or something?"

Rukia shook her head.

"Not exactly" she said "but I inherited my mom's terrible immunologic system, so whenever I'm feeling sick I drink a special medicine that prevents crisis."

"Crisis?" Riruka questioned.

"You know" Rukia said while waving a hand casually "I'm one of those special persons who might die because of a simple flu."

Riruka gaped.

"Shouldn't we be running to buy the medicine?" she asked panic stricken "how the fuck did you forget something so important?"

Rukia shrugged.

"I didn't have much time to think about what to take with me" she explained "it was hard enough to hide all the money."

Riruka huffed.

"Relax" Rukia told her after noticing her expression "I'll ask Ichigo if he has the medicine, since his father is a Doctor there's a possibility. Besides, I'm living with him so it's better if I tell him."

Riruka nodded and frowned at Rukia's wet clothes, that wasn't going to help her with her situation.

"Hopefully they'll let us change to our gym uniform soon" she said "I hate this sailor uniform."

"I actually like it" Rukia said "the skirt is pretty comfortable and it's black, I like black."

"Well" Riruka said pensively "it must be better than whatever you used to wear at the convent."

Rukia nodded.

It was then when Ichigo stepped into the classroom. Rukia smiled at the sight of him and noticed how good he looked with his hair dripping wet, he approached her immediately.

"Midget" he greeted smiling "where were you?"

Rukia blushed slightly at seeing him smiling, that wasn't usual.

"I was in the bathroom" she lied "the sprinkles took me by surprise."

"Didn't you see my heroic moment?" he asked proudly.

Rukia frowned as she remembered how he ruined her whole plan to upset her father. Even then she decided to play dumb.

"What did you do?" she asked pretending to be confused.

"I saved a Rolls Royce for getting ruined."

"Carrot top" she said frowning "that's dangerous and…"

Rukia stopped talking and sneezed loudly. Several boys around the classroom yelled "bless you!" and she shivered. She rubbed her arms while trying not to panic, she didn't want to get sick, not now when she was just starting to enjoy her normal school life, not to mention that she didn't have medicine and that was a serious issue. She cursed inwardly and looked up to Ichigo to ask him about it but he was already at the other side of the classroom rummaging through his backpack.

She huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh" Riruka said smirking at her "someone is worried about you."

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked and in that moment someone dropped a black sweater on her head. She grabbed it and looked up only to see Ichigo frowning at her.

"Use that" he ordered her "the last thing you need is to get sick right now."

Rukia nodded and mumbled a "thank you." She put it on only to realize that it was way too big for her, but it was warm so she didn't care, it also smelled good. She rolled up the sleeves so it wouldn't get it the way and then she looked down only to notice that the sweater had Ichigo's name embroidered with little red letters.

"Kurosaki I." Rukia read blushing slightly.

"Nice slogan" Riruka commented casually and then looked at Ichigo smirking "are you trying to stake a claim over something here?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Shut up" he said "it's my favorite sweater so Yuzu thought that sewing my name onto it would be a good idea, that way I wouldn't lose it."

Rukia chuckled.

"I like it," she said smiling at him "thanks carrot top."

Ichigo nodded, he tried to ignore how nice it felt to see Rukia wearing his sweater.

"Okay, students!" Kyoraku sensei said while stepping into the classroom "take your seats, the fun is over."

Ichigo walked towards his desk and sat down.

"Nice one, dude" Renji said smirking at him and Ichigo threw an eraser at him.

* * *

Ginrei couldn't stop laughing, the image of Byakuya dripping wet was too much for him. Soujun and Byakuya were standing in the middle of the living room telling Ginrei everything that happened at the school, and while Ginrei was disappointed at the fact that Rukia wasn't there, he was also enjoying the whole thing.

"Grandfather" Byakuya said coldly "I fail to see the humor behind all of this."

Ginrei didn't stop laughing.

"You're the only one to blame here, son" Soujun said casually as a maid gave him some clean towels "I told you that it was impossible for Rukia to be there, Ukitake would've informed us immediately."

Ginrei nodded.

"That's true," he agreed "perhaps Rukia found a way to get the uniform in order to confuse us, who knows? She's smart like that."

"And the pink haired girl?" Byakuya asked.

"Did you see a pink haired girl at the school?" Ginrei questioned.

Byakuya sighed.

"Not a single one" he answered.

Ginrei smiled sadly as his laughter stopped.

"We hit a dead end then" he lamented.

Soujun shrugged.

"I'll place two men from our security team near the Chappy store" he decided "for now, that's all we can do. If she goes back there they'll inform us and we'll approach her."

Ginrei nodded, he doubted Rukia would make that mistake but it was worth a shot.

"Just make sure to thank Ichigo when he comes" Ginrei told Byakuya "he saved your precious Rolls Royce."

Byakuya frowned and walked towards his room.

He wasn't going to thank him.

* * *

Rukia was enjoying the warmth of Ichigo's sweater, but it wasn't going to be enough. She could feel a headache coming and she was trying hard not to sneeze every single minute, she was officially sick.

_Seriously, mom?_ She thought angrily _why didn't I inherit your feminine talents instead of your sickness? _

Class went on without problems but she was falling asleep by the time they reached physics. She needed to do something otherwise the teacher was going to give her a hard time about her not paying attention. She raised her hand and asked permission to go to the bathroom.

"Do you need help?" Riruka asked her.

Rukia shook her head.

"I'm just going to wash my face" she said "I'm falling asleep."

Riruka nodded and Rukia left the classroom while ignoring Ichigo's worried look.

* * *

"Do you think I should take her to dad?" Ichigo asked Renji.

The redhead seemed to think about it for a second.

"Well…" he said "it's probably just the flu and your father might ask too many questions, why don't you check her yourself tonight? You used to work with your father, you know how to treat simple things."

Ichigo shrugged.

"Yeah" he said "that's a better idea, but there's something weird, she was fine this morning. How did she get sick so fast?"

"I'm not a Doctor, dude" Renji said "you're asking the wrong person."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and in that moment his cellphone vibrated. He sighed as he looked at the teacher, cellphones were forbidden in classes but it could be Byakuya so he needed to answer. Ichigo took his phone out of his backpack and decided to check, carefully so the teacher wouldn't notice. It was just a message so without hesitation he opened it.

**From:** _Never answer this phone._

"_I was informed about your new toy, it's a pretty little thing. Where did you get her? Should I pay her a visit? Call me, unless you want me to use her to call your attention."_

There was a picture attached to the message. Ichigo tensed when he noticed that it was the picture he had taken of Rukia asleep on his bed while hugging Kon. He realized that someone had taken a picture of his cellphone and cursed under his breath. He knew who had sent him the message, there was only one person who was saved like that on his phone, and Ichigo also knew who informed him about Rukia's existence.

Ichigo looked with hard eyes at Ashido, who was paying attention to the class, and frowned. Pure anger filled him, this is why he hated to be in the same class as him. He was never going to be free from his fucking past because the bastard kept tracking him even at school, it was infuriating but what bothered Ichigo the most was the fact that he was threatening Rukia. He didn't even know her!

"Renji" Ichigo said lowly "I have to speak with Ashido, how much time we have before physical education?"

Renji frowned confused and Ichigo passed him his cellphone discreetly. Renji's eyes widened as he read the message.

"Just an hour left," Renji told him "I guess we'll walk towards the gym with Ashido."

Ichigo nodded.

"Yes, we will" he said menacingly.

* * *

Rukia splashed cold water against her face and sighed.

She was going to ask Ichigo about the medicine at the first chance she could get, she didn't want to have her first week as a normal girl ruined because of this. Once she decided that she wasn't going to fall asleep she stepped out of the bathroom and walked towards her classroom, she turned into an empty hallway and noticed there three girls speaking there.

"Senna" a black haired girl said "quite tacky for you to follow us here."

Rukia's eyes widened. Senna was here? The same Senna that bullied Riruka and stalked Ichigo's sisters? Rukia hid behind a wall to hear the conversation, she knew it was wrong to eavesdrop but she couldn't help herself, why was Senna here?

"I just heard that you were going to bring Ichigo his lunch, Karin."

Rukia gaped, the black haired girl was Karin, so the other one had to be Yuzu.

"Well" Karin continued and Rukia smiled proudly at her bossy voice "that was a private conversation, you should leave immediately."

"Or what?" Senna asked.

"Oh come on!" Yuzu said annoyed "you'll get us in trouble! We just want to give Ichi-nii her lunch, why would you follow us?"

"I just think I should be the one to give him his lunch" Senna said casually and Rukia frowned at that.

Karin scoffed.

"Sure" she said "so he can go and tell daddy how you keep stalking us, is that what you want?"

"Give me the lunch," Senna said finally with a threatening voice "I won't ask again."

Rukia frowned.

She needed to intervene.

* * *

Karin glared at Senna, she was making them lose their time and if the conversation kept going like that they would call too much attention. It was even worst when Yuzu took cover behind Karin after seeing Senna's angry face, why was she obsessed with her brother? And how did she manage to arrive so quick at the school? As far as Karin knew, Senna didn't have a car much less a bicycle.

"Yuzu" Senna said "I need to apologize with your brother, I'm pretty sure that if I tell him that his sweet little sister sent him lunch with me he would be thrilled, don't you think?"

"Ichi-nii would never believe you," Yuzu said angrily "you're not allowed to come near us."

"Oh, come on" Senna said "Ichigo probably doesn't care anymore about our little misunderstanding, he probably thinks that I can get along with his dear little sisters again."

"You don't know Ichigo at all, do you?" someone asked and Karin and Yuzu turned around to see a pretty girl walking towards them.

Yuzu gaped when she saw the girl's eyes, she had never seen violet eyes. The girl had also one of the prettiest faces she had ever seen with a button like nose, she had white skin and gorgeous raven hair. She was like a doll! Yuzu looked at Karin and judging by her face she was thinking the same thing as her.

Much to twin's surprise the girl put herself between them and Senna in a protective manner.

"Who are you?" Senna asked annoyed.

"My name's Rukia" the girl said while crossing her arms "and I study here, but that's none of your business."

"Karin-chan" Yuzu whispered to her sister so Senna wouldn't listen to them "she's wearing Ichi-nii's favorite sweater!"

Karin's eyes widened as she observed Rukia, could it be possible? Ichigo hated to lend his sweater to anyone.

"You interrupted our conversation," Senna said crossly "get lost."

Rukia chuckled and Karin couldn't help but noticed how classy she sounded, who was this girl?

"I heard most of it and that wasn't a nice conversation" Rukia commented "and I'm not going anywhere, the only one who's leaving is you."

Senna sneered at her.

"Who are you? What do you care?" she asked her.

"I already told you who I am" Rukia stated calmly "are you deaf? You should get yourself checked."

Yuzu and Karin chuckled and Senna blushed with anger.

"This is none of your business" Senna barked.

"Oh, but it is" Rukia retorted angrily while taking a step forward "I cannot stand bullies and you're here messing up with two young girls who just want to see their brother, do you think I'll let you talk to them like that?"

Senna gulped and took a step back.

"And what are you going to do? Hit me?" she asked.

"I'm not a fan of violence" Rukia said "it's not the Christian thing to do."

Yuzu, Karin and Senna frowned at that, what did she mean by that?

"But I can scream" Rukia said "I can scream Ichigo's name loud enough so he can come running, what do you think he's going to think once he sees you with his sisters? Would he greet you like an old friend? Or would he remember the time you stalked them so much that his father had to intervene?"

Senna gulped nervously.

"You wouldn't dare" she said.

Rukia smiled.

"Is that a challenge?" she asked.

Senna glared at Rukia and pondered her options, the skinny girl in front of her wasn't going to give up and judging by her pose she was ready to yell at the top of her lungs, it wasn't worth it. Not to mention that the free period was about to end and she didn't need problems at school. She looked at Karin and Yuzu one last time and huffed, she could always try to talk to Ichigo privately. She then looked at the sweater the girl was using, she was about to make fun of how big it was until she noticed it wasn't hers, the name "Kurosaki I." was on it.

She felt a pang of jealousy and scoffed.

"Whatever" Senna said finally "you're not worth my time."

Yuzu smiled as she saw Senna running towards the school's exit.

Rukia turned around and smiled at the twins.

"Are you okay?" she asked them.

Karin's eyes widened as she saw her brother's name on the sweater.

"Rukia-nee!" Yuzu said happily and Rukia blushed slightly "thank you! I thought we would never get rid of her!"

"Who are you?" Karin asked her while crossing her arms "how do you know who we are?"

Rukia shrugged.

"Ichigo told me about you" she explained and then pointed at Yuzu "sweet Yuzu who looks like sunshine and has amazing cooking skills, right?"

Yuzu nodded while blushing and then Rukia pointed at Karin.

"Badass Karin who's the captain of the soccer team and can kick ass better than any boy, am I correct?"

Karin smirked proudly.

"Perhaps I am" she said "and you? What's your story?"

Rukia shrugged, she just couldn't tell them that their brother hit her with his boss's car while she was running away from the convent and that she, because of a series of circumstances, was secretly living at their house, so she simply shortened her story.

"I just moved recently to the city" she said "and Ichigo has become a close friend of mine, that's all."

"And he told you all about us?" Karin asked curiously, it was weird for her brother to open up about the family.

Rukia nodded, Ichigo told her all of that after he showed her the pictures on his phone. Considering how unique the twins were, it was impossible for Rukia not to identify them like that, besides Ichigo was right, Yuzu looked like sunshine and Karin's attitude gave her quite the badass vibes.

"Yeah, we went to a coffee shop and I asked him about his family" she said and got confused when the twins looked at her with widened eyes.

Yuzu wanted all the details! Her brother was going on dates, that's why he was missing a huge part of the weekend! And to think that he was going out with such a gorgeous girl, oh she needed to know more. She wanted to keep talking with Rukia, in fact she was about to ask a million questions but then she remembered the hour and gasped.

"Rukia-nee I'm sorry!" she said suddenly "can you give this to Ichi-nii?! We're running out of time!"

Rukia nodded and grabbed the bento box.

"Sure, I will."

"Thank you so much" Yuzu said while grabbing Karin's hand "I'll tell Ichi-nii to invite you to dinner, okay?"

Rukia smiled.

"Sure, I would love to have dinner with you!"

The twins said goodbye and ran towards the exit.

"I like her!" Yuzu said while smiling at Karin "what do you think, Karin-chan?"

Karin rolled her eyes at her sister's face.

"I guess I like her too," she said finally "at least we'll get to interrogate Ichi-nii about something today."

Yuzu nodded, she really wanted to know more about Rukia.

* * *

Rukia stepped back into the classroom in time to see everyone getting ready to go to the gym. She walked towards Ichigo and handed him the bento box.

"Did you go to the bathroom or did you go to buy me lunch?" he asked smirking.

"I went to the bathroom" Rukia said "and on my way here I met Karin and Yuzu who were looking for you."

"My sisters were here?" Ichigo asked quickly "what for? Are they okay?"

Rukia chuckled at his older brother protectiveness.

"They are okay" she assured them "Yuzu just wanted to make sure you had something to eat, I guess."

Ichigo frowned.

"Why did they give the lunch to you?" he asked curiously.

Rukia shrugged.

"You'll have to ask them the details" she said and then Riruka walked towards her.

"Come on, loser" Riruka said interrupting the conversation "you don't want to be late to your first physical education class."

Rukia smiled at Ichigo's confused face and left him there as she walked with Riruka towards the gym. She noticed how Ichigo stay a few minutes longer discussing something with Renji.

"Weren't you just going to the bathroom?" Riruka asked, she had seen the whole exchange with Ichigo and Rukia.

"You'll never guess what happened" Rukia said smiling.

"Tell me all about it while we get changed" Riruka said while putting an arm around her shoulders "let's go to the gym lockers."

* * *

Ashido knew something was wrong the moment he stepped out of the classroom to go to the gym. Ichigo reached him and put an arm around his shoulders, it looked like a friendly gesture but the strength the orange haired boy was using wasn't a laughing matter.

"Now" Ichigo whispered darkly "we're going to the bathroom, if you know what's good for you you'll come quietly."

"What makes you think I'll accept?" Ashido asked.

"Well" Ichigo said casually "Ikkaku, Renji and Yumichika are right behind us. Do you think they'll give you a choice in this matter?"

Ashido frowned.

"I don't want troubles" he said.

"Then you should have thought about it before checking my phone and sending Rukia's picture."

Ashido gulped.

Kurosaki Ichigo was enraged.

* * *

"That bitch was here?" Riruka asked surprised "for real?"

Rukia nodded. They were both putting on the uniform and it was amazing to have all the girl's lockers for themselves, it was quite a change after having to share the showers and the room at the convent.

"I was surprised too" Rukia said as she folded Ichigo's sweater carefully inside her bag "I was going to ignore the whole thing, but I didn't like how she talked to Ichigo's sisters, what's wrong with her? They are younger than her."

Riruka smiled devilishly.

"You just want until Ichigo's sisters tell him the whole thing" she said happily "he's going to love you and he'll hate her even more."

Rukia blinked as she put on her gym uniform. It was a simple white shirt and white shorts, she huffed as she put on her tennis, she was already missing the sweater's warmth and she felt uncomfortable.

"You don't look happy" Riruka observed.

Rukia looked at her, she was already completely dressed.

"Don't get me wrong" Rukia explained "but isn't this short _too_ short?"

Riruka raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"You've been wearing a skirt without problems," she commented "what's up with the short?"

"It's shorter than the skirt!" Rukia said as if it was obvious "and I have never shown so much… skin. I feel weird."

"Your legs are awesome" Riruka said casually "you should feel proud."

Rukia blushed.

"Shut up," she said "perhaps studying in a school full of boys has some disadvantages."

Riruka shook her head.

"I understand your point" she said "but you shouldn't worry, if any boy tries to look at you in a wrong way, or if anyone stares too long they'll end up in the infirmary."

Rukia frowned.

"I don't want to hit anyone and you shouldn't get into trouble because of me."

Riruka chuckled.

"It won't be me" she said as a matter of fact "it'll be the teacher, Zaraki Kenpachi does not tolerate perverts in his classes. Why do you think I have no problems wearing shorts around our class? It's always fun to see one or two boys unconscious."

Rukia blinked.

"The teacher?" she asked "seriously?"

Riruka nodded.

"He looks like a madman" she explained "but he's married to Unohana Retsu, she's the one in charge of the school's infirmary, and they have a daughter named Yachiru."

Rukia blinked.

"Well, I guess that it'll be an interesting class."

Riruka nodded agreeing with her.

* * *

Ashido was pushed against the wall painfully and glared at Ichigo with all his might. He wanted to punch him straight in the face but he knew he didn't stand a chance, right in front of him were Zaraki Kenpachi's favorite students. They had trained with him and if he wasn't mistaken some of them still were under his wing. Perhaps getting involved in this mess was a bad decision.

"Now" Ichigo said while standing in front of him with his arms crossed "why did you send Rukia's picture to Pantera? What else did you tell him?"

Ashido scoffed as he saw Ikkaku and Renji flanking Ichigo, Yumichika was standing near the door keeping guard.

"How come you brought these idiots with you?" Ashido asked annoyed "am I too much to handle by yourself?"

Ikkaku laughed.

"We're here to make sure this bastard doesn't leave you bleeding unconscious" he explained while pointing at Ichigo "I didn't want to miss the fun."

"Just answer his questions" Renji said exasperated "I don't want to be late for class."

Ashido sighed.

"Listen" he said "I don't know what you're talking about, so just let me go."

Ichigo frowned.

"Do you really expect me to believe that?" he asked "I'm not an idiot, so don't do this unnecessarily painful for you."

Ashido was surprised, when he saw Ichigo looking worriedly at Rukia's desk he wondered if there was more to their relationship but he never expected to find such a candid picture on his phone. So he, following orders, sent it to Pantera.

It was interesting information after all.

"I'm not saying anything" Ashido said determined and Ichigo smirked.

Before he had time to react, Ikkaku held Ashido by his wrists and Renji grabbed his cellphone from his pocket. Ashido paled as he struggled to free himself from the bald boy's grip but it was useless, he was trapped.

Renji gave the cellphone to Ichigo who checked it without hesitation. He found the picture and the message, he felt the need to kick Ashido and infuriated him even more when he read the _"I might have to test it"_ part. Ichigo took a deep breath and looked at Ashido straight in the eyes.

"What?" Ashido asked fearfully.

Ichigo didn't answer, instead he turned around and with all the strength he could muster he threw the phone against the bathroom wall. It was such a violent thing to do that even Renji was surprised, the phone broke into several pieces and Ashido exploded.

"What the hell?! What's your problem?!"

Ichigo looked at Ashido again and grabbed him by the front of his uniform.

"You just compromised Rukia's safety" he said angrily "in order to call my attention he's going to look for her! I ought to beat the shit out of you!"

"Oh, come on!" Ashido said "fine, let me explain. Since I'm not a little rich boy like you I work for Pantera, he pays me some nice cash in exchange of information, he just wants to know about you!"

"I don't give a shit about your financial status" Ichigo said darkly without letting go off Ashido "what the fuck has Rukia to do with this?!"

"Nothing!" Ashido said defensively "I thought that you looked interested in her, nothing else. But when I checked your phone and saw the picture I couldn't help it, that sort of information will give me a lot of cash!"

Renji groaned.

"You're an idiot" he said.

"Who's this Pantera?" Yumichika asked curiously "do I know him? He sounds sexy and dangerous."

Ikkaku scoffed.

"Pantera is Grimmjow's nickname" he said "remember?"

"Oh, your ex?" Yumichika asked Ichigo.

"Don't be an asshole" Ichigo said and then focused on Ashido again.

He knew that his next decision wasn't wise, he knew that if his father were to find out there would be hell to pay. He personally didn't want to do it, but he remembered Rukia's smiling face and the fact that she had just recently began to enjoy a normal life and clicked his tongue.

"I'll talk to Grimmjow so he doesn't get near Rukia" he said finally.

Renji and Ashido's eyes widened.

"But if something happens to her before I can do that" Ichigo added menacingly "you'll be wishing to study somewhere else."

Ashido gulped nervously and nodded.

"What's your relationship with her?" he couldn't help to ask.

Ichigo put his hands inside his pockets and glared at him.

"It's none of your business" he said "just stay away from her."

Ashido exhaled as they released him.

"You should also look for another way to make money," Ichigo said smirking "after I talk to Grimmjow you won't be having that work anymore."

Ichigo left the bathroom with the others, ignoring Ashido's enraged face.

* * *

When Rukia and Riruka stepped out of the lockers three boys, whose names she hadn't bothered to remember, turned to look at them with widened eyes. Rukia blushed instantly but before she could ask them what their problems were a ball landed on the face of one of them and the other ones ran towards another section of the gym. Rukia approached the injured boy, who was now unconscious on the floor with his nose bleeding, and thought that divine justice had befallen him.

"Should I say a prayer for him?" Rukia asked Riruka.

The pink haired girl huffed.

"Why don't you thank the teacher instead?" she asked and Rukia turned to look at her teacher.

Her eyes widened as she observed the scariest man she had ever seen. He was tall and muscular, he had pointy black hair, dark skin and Rukia could see some scars on his face. She gulped as she noticed the eyepatch, why was he wearing that?

"I was told there was a new girl" he said approaching her in what Rukia thought was a menacing pose "now, here are the rules. If any of those boys sees you funny, I'll hit them. If any of those boys tries anything funny with you, I'll hit them. You just have to let me know."

Rukia smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Sir" she said happily.

"Good" he said and Rukia suddenly understood why Riruka felt so much comfortable during this class.

Rukia noticed how the boys started to arrive at the gym but kept their distance.

"You're a Kuchiki, aren't you?" Kenpachi asked her and Rukia paled immediately while Riruka's eyes widened.

"I… I'm not, I mean" she stuttered "how did you know?"

Kenpachi huffed.

"You look like your mother and you have lots of traits of your fucking father" he said without reservations.

"My fucking father?" Rukia asked feeling a little protective towards Byakuya.

"Don't get me wrong, girl" Kenpachi said unapologetic "he was a friend of mine until I broke his rich boy nose in a match, he never got over it."

Rukia chuckled at that.

"Are you escaping or something?" Kenpachi asked her.

Rukia was glad that all the boys were keeping the distance, she could tell that no one was listening to their conversation.

"Yes," she answered "daddy doesn't know I'm here."

"Good" Kenpachi said "the stuck up bastard deserves it, I'll keep the secret. I want to see his face when he realizes that his sweet only daughter is hiding at a school packed with testosterone."

Riruka and Rukia laughed at that.

"All right bastards!" Kenpachi said turning around "Kurosaki and others are missing! So unless they show up soon all of you will be running until you throw up your lungs! Start running!"

Everyone did and Rukia found herself enjoying the sight of frightened young boys.

"Both of you too!" Kenpachi said while looking at Riruka and Rukia "I may be against perverts but that does not mean I'll go easy on you! In this class we'll respect gender equality!"

Riruka and Rukia started to run their laps too.

Rukia wondered what Ichigo was doing.

* * *

Once Ikkaku, Yumichika and Renji changed into the gym uniform they all sighed.

"Some final words before Kenpachi kill us?" Renji asked trying to lighten up the mood.

"I'm proud" Yumichika said while fanning himself with his hand "I got to see _the_ Kurosaki Ichigo fighting over his…" he made a pause "what is your relationship with the new girl again?"

Ichigo scoffed.

"We're just friends" he said as he walked towards the gym.

"Oh, you're not fooling anyone" Yumichika said casually "wasn't she wearing a sweater with your name on it? Besides, you don't have to be ashamed, she's extremely pretty."

"Listen up," Ichigo said while opening the gym doors "I'm not attracted to the midget, we're just friends."

"Not attracted?" Renji asked smirking "not even a little bit?"

"Hell no!" Ichigo said while stepping inside the gym "I mean she's…"

He stopped talking because the first thing he saw was Rukia, she was panting and sweating while running laps. The white short fitted her perfectly and Ichigo wondered how come he never noticed how creamy and long her legs were. He found himself unable to stop staring at her and she probably felt his gaze on her because she looked at him and blushed, he already thought she was pretty but this was too much.

"Extremely hot" Ichigo muttered and Renji chuckled under his breath.

"You're late!" Kenpachi yelled and Rukia's face was all Ichigo saw before receiving a ball to the head and falling unconscious.

* * *

**Okay, I really enjoyed writing this chapter! I hope you like it too! **

**Now, I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last one: **

**Jobananasan: Thank you so much for your review! And thank you for your congratulations too! My graduation will have to wait due to the Corona but hopefully it'll be this year! It's not that I don't like Ashido, he's just really easy to use HAHAHA. Let me know if you liked this chapter, stay safe. Kisses! **

**Haru000: Thanks for your congratulations! I'm glad you liked the last chapter, let me know what you think about this one! Thanks again, take care! Kisses! **

**uchihaNaruto247: Thank you for your review! Grimmjow will appear in the next chapter! Let me know if you liked this chapter, take care!**

**Achalida: Thank you for your review and your congratulations, it means a lot! I hope you liked this chapter, let me know. Did you guess who Pantera was? Kisses! **

**RukiYuki: Thank you so much for your review! I hope you liked this chapter, let me know! Kisses! **

**Nejes: Secrets out! Remember how Pantera was Grimmjow's resurrection? Thank you so much for your review, let me know if you liked this chapter! Take care! **

**Inverse L. Reena: Yo también las amo juntas, siempre pensé que podrían ser muy buenas amigas. Gracias por tu review, déjame saber si te gusto el cap. Besos. **

**Natsumivat: ¡Hola! No te preocupes, soy latina así que puedo leer tu comentario perfectamente. Me encantan los reviews en español porque me siento más cerca de la gente que me lee, tu review me hizo sonreír, me alegra que te guste el fic. Con respecto a lo de que lo traduzcas en google está bien, aunque a veces el traductor comete errores, si tienes alguna duda sobre la traducción del fic me puedes escribir a mi twitter, Fangirl Issues 31 (sin espacios) Cuídate mucho y besos. **

**Hikari Rhonda: Thank you so much for your review! We'll get to know more about Ichigo's story in the next chapter! Let me know what you think about this one, take care, kisses!**

**If I didn't mention you let me know so I can thank you properly. **

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Please read this chapter's warnings, it's important: **

**\- Sexual themes are discussed here, if you're not comfortable with that you shouldn't read. **

**\- I, personally, believe that homosexuality is not wrong so if you disagree you might not like this chapter.**

**\- I love Grimmjow and I love him especially when he's messing with Ichigo and Rukia, but in this one he has quite the background with Ichigo, you've been warned. **

**Finally: **

**\- Ichiruki is my main ship, I love those two together so DON'T WORRY of course this Fanfic is 100% ICHIRUKI.**

**Happy reading. **

**Chapter 9**

* * *

Ichigo groaned.

He refused to open his eyes, all he knew was that he was lying on a soft mattress and that soft hands were pressing something cold against his forehead, it felt so good that he relaxed and tried to remember what brought him to his unconscious state. He remembered threatening Ashido and saying how he was going to face Grimmjow, he remembered walking towards the gym and seeing the midget running laps while wearing the gym uniform, had she always looked so good? After ogling at her Kenpachi yelled something and…

He snapped his eyes wide open and found himself face to face with Rukia.

She was the one who was pressing an ice pack against his forehead, she was seated next to him on the infirmary bed. He also noticed how she was wearing the sailor uniform and his sweater again, he smirked at that.

"God punished me, right?" Ichigo asked jokingly.

Rukia frowned at him.

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"I was lusting after a novice" he explained.

Rukia blushed.

"That's what you think? That divine justice befell upon you?" she asked amused.

Ichigo nodded.

"Well" Rukia said while poking him on the forehead "as long as you confess your sin and find true regret you'll be okay."

Ichigo chuckled.

"What if I don't regret finding you attractive?" he asked and noticed proudly how she looked aside blushing.

"Stop being a flirt, Ichigo" she said while standing up "you lost two hours of class, we're already on lunch time. Renji brought you here with Ikkaku's help."

"Two hours?!" Ichigo asked "fuck, now I'll have to ask for notes and homework."

"It's okay" Rukia said "I wrote down everything for you, we can do homework together tonight."

Ichigo nodded and sat down. He didn't feel in pain which was a good sign, it meant that he didn't have a concussion so he was fine to go back and have lunch. It was a relief knowing that he was fine enough to go to work too. He looked at Rukia and noticed her cheeks were red and that she was breathing heavily, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, she gasped surprised and then Ichigo put his forehead carefully against hers.

"You have a fever" he said "you should've told Kenpachi that you were not feeling okay."

Rukia took a step back and cleared her throat.

"I'm fine" she lied "I took a hot shower after physical education but I need to ask you, do you have Preptol at your house?"

Ichigo frowned, if memory served right Preptol was a medicine that could only be obtained through prescription, and it was for people with extremely weak immunologic systems. It was expensive as fuck and hard to get unless you had the right connections or an amazing insurance. Why did Rukia need that?

"Midget," he said "I can ask my father but a prescription is needed and he is quite strict when it comes to his job, are you sick?"

Rukia crossed her arms.

"Remember how I told you that my mom died when I was younger? Well, her immunologic system was awfully weak and well, mine is no better. I inherited that from her and I forgot my medicine at the convent."

Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose.

"The sprinkles, right? You get sick extremely easy and you got all wet…" he stood up and looked at Rukia "why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Rukia glared at him.

"I wasn't planning on getting sick so fast!" she excused herself "besides, it was hard enough to escape I didn't have time to think about what to bring with me!"

Ichigo sighed heavily.

"I'll ask dad" he said "hopefully he won't ask too many questions."

Rukia smiled thankful.

"I met the Doctor Unohana, by the way" she said while walking with Ichigo towards the door "she went to have lunch with her husband, they make quite the interesting couple."

Ichigo shrugged.

"Tell me about it" he said while scratching the back of his head "Kenpachi is crazy as hell and Unohana is like the sweetest Doctor, I never understood that."

Rukia chuckled and together they went to lunch.

* * *

"Kuchiki-sama" a maid said shyly while stepping into the studio "my apologies, I do not wish to intrude but this box just came, it was sent from the convent."

Ginrei, Soujun and Byakuya stood up and looked apprehensively at the box the maid was holding. Byakuya instructed the maid to leave it on the desk and she excused herself, it was a cardboard box but for some reason it was making all of them tense.

Soujun scoffed.

"Would you man up?" he asked annoyed at his son "it's just a box! We asked them to send us her belongings, remember? This is probably just her toiletries."

Byakuya frowned at his father while Ginrei decided to open the box.

"That stupid girl!" Ginrei said aloud surprising both Soujun and Byakuya.

Ginrei picked up what was inside the box and threw it at Byakuya rudely. It was a bottle of Preptol, she had forgotten her medicine, Byakuya's eyes widened and he found himself worrying more than before. How could Rukia be so damn careless?

"There are two more bottles inside the box" Ginrei said angrily "is everything we sent her the last time, if she gets sick…"

Soujun pinched the bridge of his nose.

"She looked healthy on the security tapes from the city" he said exasperated at Rukia's carelessness "she's not going to die."

"She does not have the resources to get this medicine!" Ginrei said with his temper rising by the second "we don't know who's helping her, if she reveals her condition someone might take advantage of that, what if the man who's helping her asks for a payment in exchange of the medicine?"

Byakuya felt like throwing up.

"Is there anything else inside the box?" he asked trying not to think about Rukia getting sick in the arms of a stranger "anything?"

Ginrei took out a sketchbook and sighed sadly as he opened it.

"She still draws the rabbits" he said and cleared his throat "excuse me, I need a moment."

He left the studio and took the sketchbook with him, both Soujun and Byakuya, pretended not to see how Ginrei's eyes watered after he saw Rukia's drawings.

"Whoever is helping her" Soujun said after a few seconds "is going to pay with his life hiding Rukia from us."

Byakuya nodded agreeing with him.

* * *

Rukia found herself quite intimidated as she walked towards the rooftop with Ichigo. Everyone was looking at her, every single boy raised their eyebrows while others paled considerably. She didn't know what was happening or what she did for them to react like that but it was awkward, she didn't like that kind of attention.

"Ichigo" she said "do I have something on my face?"

Ichigo frowned and looked at her.

"Nothing out of the ordinary" he said "why?"

"Everyone's looking at me as if there's something wrong with me" she explained and Ichigo glared at one group of boys who were looking at her, they all looked aside and Ichigo scoffed.

He knew why they were looking at her with curiosity, it was the fact that she was wearing his sweater while walking with him. By this time all of the school probably knew about how, for the first time in his life, Kenpachi sent Ichigo to the infirmary for being a fucking pervert.

"Is Riruka alone?" Ichigo asked and Rukia shook her head.

"She said she would be waiting along with Renji" she explained "why?"

Ichigo grabbed Rukia's hand.

"They can have lunch without us" he said "come with me, I need to tell you something."

Rukia nodded and followed Ichigo's towards a section of the school she hadn't seen before. He never released her hand and she wasn't complaining, although she supposed that it just made the boys around her to whisper even more among them, was it that weird to see a girl walking holding a boy's hand? Well, perhaps in this school it was.

Ichigo didn't know how to touch the subject but the midget needed to know about Grimmjow. She was living with him so if something were to happen Ichigo would only blame himself and as he thought about Rukia near Grimmjow his blood boiled, he wouldn't let that happen.

"Don't mind them" Ichigo told her "it's my fault, I have quite the reputation."

Rukia blinked. She wanted to ask what kind of reputation but she never found the chance. Ichigo took her to an unused classroom and once they were both inside he closed the door behind them, Rukia noticed how he locked the door but didn't say anything about it.

"Did something happen?" she asked while taking a seat on top of the teacher's desk "you look annoyed."

Ichigo nodded while putting himself in front of Rukia.

"Midget" he said seriously "we met just recently but there are important things that you have to know, for your own safety."

Rukia frowned, he looked tense and he was scowling more than usual.

"Do you work for the mafia? Are we in danger?" she asked finally, why was he acting as if someone had threaten him?

Ichigo chuckled and Rukia smirked as he noticed how he relaxed a little.

"Don't be an idiot" he said "it has nothing to do with my work."

"Then?" Rukia asked curiously as she looked at Ichigo's conflicted face "you can tell me anything, carrot top."

"Are you sure? You won't freak out?" he asked and she shrugged.

Ichigo sighed and he took a seat next to her.

"Midget, just like I told you when we met I'll help you to get by life on your own" he started as he grabbed Rukia's hand "this means that we'll be stuck with each other for quite some time."

Rukia nodded as she intertwined her fingers with Ichigo's.

"I'm okay with that" she told him, she liked the feeling of his hand on hers.

"I'm okay with that too" he agreed "but I want you to know that I'm not the safest person to be around."

"Why's that?" she asked quietly.

Ichigo cleared his throat.

"A year and a half ago I had a huge fight with my father" he started "I wasn't at my best place, I won't explain why, but back then my relationship with my dad was awful. I didn't have a job and my grades were hitting rock bottom."

Rukia listened intently, what Ichigo was describing didn't sound like him at all. In the few days they had shared Rukia had heard him laughing with his family, she had seen him working hard and while she didn't have proof she could tell that his academic performance wasn't that bad.

"The thing is" he continued "that in the middle of a nasty argument I left my house, I was angry and hurt and I ran away."

Rukia squeezed his hand to let him know that she was paying attention, he squeezed her hand back.

"My hair has always brought problems for me" he said with a small chuckle "so I had quite some enemies in some parts of the city and a few friends too, the bad kind of friends mind you."

"You went with them?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo nodded.

"Back then Renji wasn't my best friend" he explained "the pineapple head has always been there for me but I didn't appreciate him enough, now I do."

Rukia smiled as she remembered both Ichigo and Renji panicking at seeing her conscious, for the first time, in Renji's apartment.

"I had another best friend, his name was Grimmjow" Ichigo said and Rukia noticed how he tensed, he was probably remembering something bad.

Rukia nudged him slightly.

"It's okay," she told him "you don't have to talk if you don't want to."

Ichigo shook his head.

"You have to know and…" he sighed heavily "why is it so easy to open up with you? Does this have something to do with you being a novice?"

Rukia chuckled.

"We can always go to church if you want to confess" she said smiling "I don't have the same authority as a priest."

Ichigo smirked at her.

"You're better looking than a priest" he said and she blushed "so I think I'll keep confessing to you instead."

"In that case" Rukia said jokingly while standing up to grab a book from one of the desks "I shall listen and go to the tomb with every secret you share."

She offered the book to Ichigo who looked at her confused, what was she playing at?

"You have to pretend this is the Bible, carrot top" she explained after a few seconds "place your palm over it and swear to be honest."

Ichigo smiled and obeyed.

"Now I'm ready to confess?" he asked once he was done "and you have to keep everything you hear as a secret?"

"Basically" she said as she took a seat next to him again "so, what happened with Grimmjow?"

Ichigo took a deep breath as he put an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer.

"Grimmjow had always being special, for a lack of a better word, he's a troublemaker and he likes to get into fights for the fun of it," Ichigo explained "back then a fight brought us together and we became inseparable. Since I ran from my house I lived with him and we would go out every night just looking for trouble."

Rukia's eyes widened, that didn't sound like Ichigo at all.

"We did all kind of things, bad things" Ichigo continued "we would get drunk, smoke, fight and…" he cleared his throat "fool around with women."

"Fool around? Women?" Rukia asked curiously "there were girls with you? Did you have a girlfriend?"

Ichigo took a deep breath, he didn't have any doubts that Rukia wasn't exactly informed about this topic. He didn't know much about nuns but he knew one of the requirements to become one, and the fact that ever since day one she felt comfortable around boys led him to know that she was innocent as fuck, or oblivious as hell, either way it was going to be awkward to share this with her.

"Do you know what a brothel is?" he asked her.

Rukia frowned.

"A sin bin?" she asked confused and after a few seconds her eyes widened "oh, you're talking about prostitutes."

Ichigo nodded, he was glad that he wouldn't have to explain what a prostitute was.

"Grimmjow and I, well we were young and we were respected by everyone" he said "in order to keep our leadership we had to be ahead of everyone in every single thing, sex wasn't excluded from that."

Rukia kept quiet, she didn't know what to say about it.

"So we would go and pay for sex" he explained "we both lost our virginity like that, with prostitutes."

"You were so young" Rukia said sadly.

Ichigo shrugged.

"I was about to turn fifteen" he admitted "quite precocious, don't you think?"

Rukia shook her head.

"Were they older women?" she asked barely whispering.

Ichigo nodded.

"They abused you!" Rukia said angrily surprising Ichigo "older men and women have no business getting involved with minors!"

"Midget" Ichigo stopped her "I went to that place by my own will, no one forced me to do anything. I was an idiot teenager who thought that he would win status by doing it, I even found myself enjoying those women's attention for a while."

Rukia blushed at that.

"Does this topic make you uncomfortable?" he asked, he didn't want her to get the wrong idea.

"Well, not exactly" Rukia said "I mean, I don't even understand sex entirely because it was treated as taboo inside the convent and while I'm a virgin I am in no place to judge you, if anything I'm mad at those women. How could they receive a young boy without any shame?"

"They did it because of the money, midget" he explained calmly "there are places where money is the only thing that matters."

Rukia scoffed.

"Did your father find out?"

"It took a while" Ichigo answered while nodding "but as I was saying, Grimmjow and I had our own little group of friends, we were considered leaders and while I was pretending to enjoy that kind of life my father was trying to make me go back home like crazy, I admit I was tired and I missed my sisters but I still refused."

"Why?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo stood up and put himself in front of her.

"Grimmjow" he said simply "you'll see, those guys didn't want to accept me when I approached them the first time. I'm rich and they didn't want to have anything to do with a spoiled brat like me."

Rukia frowned.

"What's wrong with being rich?" she asked.

"Why don't you look surprised at the fact that I'm rich?" Ichigo retorted, he hadn't shared that with her.

Rukia shrugged.

"I heard it today" she explained "during the whole Rolls Royce thing, I was surprised but then Riruka explained me that your dad is the owner of a hospital."

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair.

"Nothing is a secret inside this school" he complained "anyway, the thing is that I wanted to be part of them, I wanted to get into troubles with Grimmjow so he helped me. He took me to live with him and, in order to his group of friend to accept me, he pretended that we were dating for a while."

Rukia gaped as her brain processed the information. Ichigo dated a boy? Kurosaki Ichigo? It was hard to believe.

"Really?" she asked finally "that's quite the friendship."

Ichigo chuckled.

"Nothing to say about homosexuality being a sin?" he asked smirking.

Rukia crossed her arms.

"I know what the church says about homosexuality" she said defiantly "but I don't buy it, love is not a sin."

Ichigo's eyes widened, the midget never stopped surprising him. He was glad she managed to escape the convent, that place didn't deserve someone like her.

"Besides" she added while waving a hand "while there's nothing wrong with being gay, you were pretending, right?"

Ichigo looked at her and wondered how she would process his next confession.

"We pretended at first" he said "but one night, while drinking heavily, we both got to the conclusion that we felt something more and we let ourselves go. We dated for real for a few months."

Rukia gulped.

"Oh, so you don't" she stuttered "you're not… you don't like girls?"

Ichigo took a step closer to her and grabbed one of her bangs carefully. Rukia's heart started to beat faster as she realized that he was giving her quite a tender look, his eyes were soft but there was something else, she didn't know how to name it. She felt trapped, he wasn't holding her but she knew that she wouldn't be able to move if she were to try, it was as if Ichigo's eyes had her glued to the desk. She liked the sensation.

"Ichigo?" she asked finally.

"I do like girls" he said while tracing her jaw with one of his fingers.

"Then?" she pressed on "why did you date Grimmjow?"

Ichigo took her by surprise as he leaned on and rested his head on her shoulder, she supposed that he didn't want her to read his expression.

"I was lost and alone" he explained "Grimmjow was the only one who was there at the time but we were both confused, we were young and stupid, and deep down we were crying for attention."

Rukia hugged Ichigo, she didn't know what else to say or to do. He hugged her back and she wondered what could've taken him to do something like that, running away from home and living like a wild child didn't sound like something he would do on a whim. She wanted to ask but she didn't want to pry too much.

"What happened? How did you manage to get rid of that life?"

Ichigo broke the hug and put his hands inside his pockets.

"Kaien and Renji found me" he said "they both beat the shit out of me and brought me home. I had a huge fight with my father again but this time he made me listen, we didn't fix everything immediately but I was tired and I love my father, I cried like a baby and stayed at home since then."

Rukia smiled sadly.

"What happened with Grimmjow?" she asked.

Ichigo cleared his throat.

"It was a secret" he explained "Kaien, Renji and my dad are the only ones who found out we were dating so my dad allowed me to see him as long as I didn't run away again."

"He approved?" Rukia asked surprised.

"I don't think that was the case" Ichigo said smirking "he probably thought that I wouldn't go back home if he were to forbid me seeing Grimmjow, but that's when our relationship started to fail. I was back at school and Renji was becoming really close to me, Kaien was helping me with my studies and even Kenpachi took me under his wing so I could train with him."

Ichigo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"A few days later my boss visited my house" he said "as I told you he's a really close friend of my father so he offered me a job as his assistant, I couldn't believe it, I've always admired him and I always wanted to be as successful as him so I accepted without hesitation."

"But?" Rukia asked.

"But Grimmjow didn't like that at all" Ichigo admitted "when I told him he accused me of leaving him behind, he told me how I wasn't going to have more time for him. We fought, we yelled and in the end we broke up, it was as messy as you can imagine."

Rukia frowned.

"I'm sorry, carrot top."

"It's okay" Ichigo said sincerely "it was for the best, we both needed to leave that wild side of us behind. Breaking up was the only good decision we took."

"So, your boss helped you, uh?" she said smiling "and here I was thinking that he was a stuck up bastard."

"He is" Ichigo agreed while thinking about Byakuya's cold eyes "but he's also a good man."

Rukia smiled at that.

"Why are you telling me all this?" she asked "I appreciate your trust but there's something else, right?"

Ichigo nodded seriously.

"There's a guy in our class" Ichigo explained "his name is Ashido and he's in constant communication with Grimmjow."

"What about it?" Rukia asked.

"Grimmjow has been trying to communicate with me for a while now" Ichigo said "and Ashido told him that you were with me."

"With you? I don't understand" Rukia said.

Ichigo took out his cellphone of his pocket and showed her the picture he had taken. Rukia blushed as she saw herself asleep on Ichigo's bed while hugging Kon.

"Ashido saw this picture and sent it to Grimmjow" he said "do I need to explain more?"

Rukia frowned.

"So, Grimmjow thinks that there's something between us?" she asked blushing slightly "is that all?"

Ichigo sighed.

"I don't know what he's thinking" he admitted "he's unpredictable but I want to avoid him for now, no matter what happens I don't want you to be close to him."

"Am I in danger?" Rukia asked.

"No, I will confront him" Ichigo said and Rukia's eyes widened "I'll explain to him that you have nothing to do with this and hopefully he'll leave us alone."

"But you don't want to see him" Rukia said while getting down from the desk "I don't want you to get into trouble because of me."

Ichigo shook his head.

"This is not your fault" he said "I am the one who's been avoiding him and I think it's time for me to talk to him, I don't want him approaching you."

"Do you think he would come looking for me?" she asked.

Ichigo nodded.

"Promise me that you'll go straight home today, midget" he said while grabbing her hand "I'll try to call him tonight in order not to lose time."

Rukia frowned.

"Well, I was already planning to go straight home and take a nap" she said "I don't feel that good."

Ichigo sighed heavily as he put a hand on her forehead, her fever was worsening.

"I'll call my dad too" he said "we need to get you that Preptol as soon as possible."

"Thank you, carrot top" Rukia said and Ichigo smiled at her.

"I should be the one thanking you, midget" he said and then he smirked "talking to you has lifted the weight of my sins from my shoulders."

Rukia laughed at that.

* * *

"So" Riruka said as Rukia took a seat next to her "Ichigo and you were nowhere to be found and rumor says that you were both walking towards the unused classrooms, do you have an idea of what people is going to think?"

Rukia huffed while blushing slightly. The teacher hadn't arrived to class yet and everyone turned to look at her when she came into the classroom with Ichigo.

"We were just speaking" Rukia said while pulling one of Riruka's tails lightly "stop looking at me like that."

"All I'm saying is that you managed to piss off Senna while saving his sisters and now you're disappearing with him" she said "do you like him?"

Rukia nodded without hesitation.

"I do, he's my friend" she answered.

Riruka rolled her eyes.

"We need to work on your innocence" she said "it might bring you trouble."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"All that I'm saying is that sometimes that boy looks at you as if you're the only person in the whole room and you're not even aware" she said "Ichigo is a good boy, one of the few ones around here that will respect you, but some people around here resent the Kurosaki heir."

Rukia frowned confused as she remembered her whole conversation with Ichigo.

"What about it?" she asked.

"Some boys might approach you in order to annoy him or challenge him."

Rukia groaned.

"What's up with boys? Is this some kind of sexist tradition?" Rukia asked.

Riruka shrugged.

"Beats me" she said "High School boys are stupid and you, my dear friend, are becoming quite close to one of the most popular guys around here."

It was then when teacher stepped into the classroom and ordered everyone to keep quiet.

"I don't care how popular he is or how many rivals he has" Rukia said whispering while taking out her notebook "he's my friend and that shouldn't be anybody business."

Riruka nodded.

"I agree with you" she said "hopefully not a single boy will give you a hard time, rumor says that Ichigo is quite dangerous."

Rukia sighed as she thought about Grimmjow, perhaps the nuns were right about boys being nothing but trouble. She then looked at Ichigo who was paying attention to the class and blushed slightly.

"I don't care if he's dangerous to have around" Rukia said finally "he's the first one I was able to call a friend, I want to be by his side for a while more."

Riruka smirked.

"You made a nice choice" she said finally.

* * *

By the time classes were over Rukia had a huge headache. She said goodbye to Riruka and noticed how Ichigo ran towards her.

"Midget" he said "I'll give you my phone number, that way you can call me from home once you arrive."

Rukia shook her head.

"There's no need" she said as she took her cellphone out of her backpack "save my number, Riruka gave me this phone."

Ichigo nodded as he took the cellphone and exchanged numbers with her.

"I'll try to get you the Preptol," he said "can you wait until dinner? I don't know at what time my father will arrive."

Rukia nodded.

"I'll take a nap" she said "it'll make me feel better."

Ichigo said goodbye and walked towards the parking lot.

Rukia sighed as she started to walk towards the Kurosaki residence, she never noticed the blue haired boy that was following her.

* * *

It took a few minutes for Ichigo to arrive at the Kuchiki mansion. Today, according to Ginrei, they were going to keep preparing the guest's room and to run some errands, he parked on the usual spot and walked towards the front door where a maid received him.

"My apologies, Kurosaki-sama" the maid said bowing "Ginrei-sama is not feeling well, he retired to his room and he won't be accompanying you today."

Ichigo frowned.

"Should I call my dad?" he asked worriedly.

"There's no need" Byakuya said stepping into the drawing room and dismissing the maid "come with me, I'll give you some documents so you can go and work at home."

Ichigo nodded and followed Byakuya towards the studio, it was weird for the Kuchikis to be at home but perhaps Ginrei's health had something to do with it. Still, Ichigo was grateful, if he was able to work for home he would be able to watch over Rukia until he could speak with his father.

"Don't worry over my grandfather" Byakuya told him while going towards his desk to retrieve the documents "tomorrow you'll be able to work with him as we told you."

Ichigo nodded as he took the papers gratefully. He was about to say goodbye when he noticed the cardboard box and the Preptol bottles. Ichigo's eyes widened, he couldn't believe it! He knew that the medicine was not for Ginrei, his father had been the Kuchiki's doctor for a while so he was aware of their whole treatment, why did they have this?

"Is something wrong, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Byakuya asked after seeing his expression.

Ichigo looked at Byakuya. He didn't want to ask for it, he knew how expensive the medicine was but this was an emergency. Rukia's fever was worsening and she looked extremely pale, he needed to help her, it was worth a shot.

"Byakuya" he said "can I take one of this bottles with me?"

Byakuya frowned.

"Do you drink Preptol?" he questioned "I wasn't aware that you needed this sort of medicine."

Ichigo gulped. He couldn't explain Rukia's situation so he decided to lie, Byakuya could always give him mountains of paperwork if he wanted to punish him for lying to him, although Ichigo wasn't planning on him finding out.

"I don't" he said "but I have a friend who is… poor. He was telling me how his mother needed this and I wanted to ask my dad but you know how he is, he would never give me medicine without the prescription."

Byakuya crossed his arms.

"I shouldn't give it to you either" he said seriously "is this friend of you from school? How is a poor boy able to afford an education at Seireitei High School?"

"Scholarship" Ichigo said quickly.

"Do I know him?" Byakuya asked.

Ichigo shook his head.

"He is new" Ichigo explained.

There was a silence of a few seconds in which Ichigo thought that Byakuya wasn't going to believe him. It was weird for Ichigo as Byakuya looked at the medicine with a mix of concern and melancholy, as if debating with himself something. He had never seen the Kuchiki heir acting like that, especially over medicine.

"Take all of the bottles with you" Byakuya said surprising Ichigo "I believe that the true owner of this medicine wouldn't mind giving them away to help others."

Ichigo frowned, he didn't understand any of that but he thanked Byakuya and took the medicine with him.

* * *

She knew she wouldn't be able to get home on time and it scared her to the bone.

When she told Ichigo that she would straight to his room and take a nap she wasn't lying, in fact that's all she wanted to do, but judging by how bad she was feeling she knew she would pass out before actually getting there. She looked around and noticed how there was no one close, she was about to turn into a corner and ask for help inside a store when out of nowhere someone grabbed her arm and pulled her towards a dark alley and pushed her against the wall.

She groaned at the pain she felt and when she looked in front of her she noticed how there was a blue haired boy smiling at her, he grabbed both of her wrists with one hand and put them above her head.

She gulped nervously.

This boy looked dangerous, he had blue hair and light blue eyes and his arms, the same arms that had her trapped, were really toned. He flashed her with a mean smile and leaned closer until their faces were only inches apart. It was the second time of the day in which she was this close to a boy but this time she didn't feel like she felt when she was with Ichigo.

The orange haired teenager made her blush and made her heart beat a little faster, out of nervousness or excitement she didn't know, but this boy made her heart beat faster out of fear.

"So" he said and his voice sent shivers down her spine "you're Kurosaki's new toy."

She blinked confused.

What did he mean by that?

"You were walking towards his house, weren't you?" he asked while grabbing one of her bangs carefully with his free hand "he's working, were you going to wait for him there?"

Rukia frowned.

"That's none of your business" she said angrily "let me go."

He chuckled and Rukia, who was now afraid of passing out on this boy's arms, shuddered. He had quite the wild laugh, who was he?

"Do you really think that you're in a position to make any demands?" he questioned while tracing her jaw with one of his fingers.

Was her imagination or the way he was touching her was the same way Ichigo had touched her earlier? Were they related? Rukia took a deep breath while trying to calm down.

"Listen" she said "I don't know what you want but…"

"I want Kurosaki Ichigo" the boy said angrily while punching the wall next to her "but the bastard is too busy to answer my calls!"

"Well" Rukia said carefully "what do I have to do with this?"

"I was informed that he had something going on with you" he told her and then looked at the sweater she was wearing, he smirked after reading Ichigo's name "so, you'll be coming with me and once we're in a more private place you'll call him, is that okay with you?"

Rukia cursed her luck, she knew who this boy was. Ichigo's theory was correct, he was going to come after her in order to call his attention but that was something Rukia wasn't going to allow him to do.

"Sorry" she said shaking her head "but you won't use me to harm Ichigo, so even if you take me with you, I won't be telling him anything."

"What's your name, brave silly girl?" the boy asked her while putting a hand on her waist "I'm starting to like you."

Rukia blushed and frowned at him.

"It's polite to introduce yourself before asking names" she told him seriously.

"My name's Grimmjow" he said and Rukia's eyes widened, she was right "so, what's yours?"

Rukia shook her head letting him know that she wouldn't tell him.

"You asked for my name" Grimmjow said angrily "now I want to know yours."

"Or what?" she asked trying to muster some courage.

To her surprise Grimmjow hid his face on the crook of her neck and bit her painfully. She gasped as she wondered if he was going to leave a mark, then he removed the hand he had on her waist to put it under her shirt, she could feel his fingers caressing her skin and she felt the need to scream but her voice wasn't coming out, her head was spinning.

"Now" Grimmjow said and his breath on her neck felt hot "unless you want me to figure out, with my fingers, whether Kurosaki already had his way with you, you'll do what I say."

She wasn't sure what was happening or how she ended up in this whole mess, but she didn't have any more time. Her eyelids felt heavy and she could tell that her fever was getting worst by the minute, not to mention that this was the first time a boy had actually touched her like this and she didn't know what to do, so in a poor attempt to find help she did the only thing the nuns taught her to do to fight hard times.

She started to pray.

She was simply asking God for a way out of this, with her virtue intact, and to be able to prevent Ichigo for getting into trouble with Grimmjow. She didn't want to be a burden for him, she didn't want Ichigo to get into trouble just because she couldn't escape for Grimmjow's grip.

"What are you doing?" Grimmjow asked her when he heard her whispering.

"I'm praying" she said as a matter of fact "since you're going to steal my virtue and to get my friend into trouble I might as well pray for you to find repentance."

Grimmjow looked at her as if she was out of her mind and it was then when he noticed she was breathing heavily.

"Are you religious?" he asked while carefully putting his forehead over hers, she had a terrible fever.

Rukia nodded, she was glad that his hand was no longer under her shirt.

"I'm a novice" she admitted.

Grimmjow let go off her as if her skin burned, did he just sexually harass a novice? Stealing her virtue and find repentance? Fuck, she wasn't lying. How did Ichigo find this girl? Did he kidnap her from the convent? Grimmjow shook his head, his father had warned him once about not messing with religious girls because they had God's protection on their side and, somehow, Grimmjow believed him. After all, his mother was religious too, and after the divorce his father had never been the same gain.

Grimmjow didn't want divine punishment to fall on him.

Rukia couldn't stand it anymore, she didn't have another choice so ignoring Grimmjow's astonished glare, she took a step forward and grabbed him by his shirt to support herself.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm sorry" she said "but please, ask Ichigo for my medicine."

"Uh?" Grimmjow asked "why don't you ask him yourself?"

"I'm not going to be conscious to do it" she said and passed out on Grimmjow's arms.

The blue haired boy catch her before she could reach the floor and carried her bridal style.

"Fuck" he said and started to walk further into the alley "Kurosaki is going to kill me."

* * *

When Ichigo stepped into his room he frowned. Everything was the same as they left it in the morning, he opened the closet and found it empty. Where was Rukia? Taking a seat on his bed he dialed her number.

"Answer, damn it!" he said and after a few rings someone answered "midget! Where the fuck are you? I have your medicine and…"

"Nice" the voice at the other side of the phone said "because she needs it, she told me that much."

Ichigo froze as he stood up, pure anger and worry started to flow through his system. He hadn't listen to his voice in months but there was no mistake, Grimmjow was with the midget.

"What did you do to her?" he asked him with a dangerous low voice "if you dare to touch her…"

"Why don't you come to my place?" Grimmjow interrupted him "you'll find her…"

"Safe and sound?" Ichigo asked.

"Listen, asshole" Grimmjow said and Ichigo could swear that he sounded exasperated "she passed out as I was threatening her, so let's just say that I didn't have a chance to do any harm."

Ichigo cursed under his breath.

"She has a horrible fever and she told me to ask you for her medicine" Grimmjow kept explaining "I didn't do anything to her, damn it!"

Ichigo frowned.

"Nothing? Are you sure?" he asked threateningly.

Grimmjow sighed heavily.

"Fine" he said finally "she might have a hickey on her neck, but that's it."

Ichigo punched his wall angrily.

"I'll be there soon" he promised "and I'm going to beat the shit out of you."

"I'll be waiting" Grimmjow said and the line went dead.

* * *

**I must say I'm nervous about the reactions to this chapter, what do you think? Did you like it? I hope you liked it because I worked hard on it. Well, Grimmjow and Ichigo will see each other again in the next one, so more drama incoming. **

**I want to thank everyone who leaves reviews:**

**Haru000: Thank you so much for your review! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Secret's out about Grimmjow, what do you think? Let me know your opinion about this chapter, kisses!**

**Nejes: Thank you so much for your review! Let me know if you liked this chapter, take care! **

**Natsumivat: Me encantan los reviews detallados así que los tuyos siempre me hacen sonreír. Karin y Yuzu van a interrogar a Ichigo en el próximo capítulo y bueno, al fin sabemos que paso entre Ichigo y Grimmjow. Si tienes preguntas no dudes en escribirme, la verdad es que estoy nerviosa con respecto a lo que la gente va a pensar de este capítulo, ¡Gracias por tus comentarios! ¡Besos! **

**Achalida: Thank you so much for your review! Let me know what you think about this chapter, okay? Thank you for the constant support, kisses! **

**Jobananasan: Hey, thank you so much for the review! I loved it! I hope this chapter clears some doubts and I hope you like it! I'm honestly super nervous about your reaction HAHAHA. Take care, I'll be waiting for your review! Kisses! **

**RukiYuki: Thank you! We'll get to see Grimmjow and Ichigo face to face in the next one! Thank you again, kisses! **

**Vick Greystark: There will be some Grimmruki scenes, I just love him, we'll be seeing more of Grimmjow in the chapters to come. Thank you so much for your reviews, take care. Kisses! **

**uchihaNaruto247: Zaraki is also one of my favorites! Don't worry, we'll have a lot more Ichiruki scenes in the chapters to come. Thank you for your review, kisses! **

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


	10. Chapter 10

**I loved reading the reactions about the last chapter! Let's see what you think about this one. **

**Happy reading. **

**Chapter 10**

* * *

Grimmjow expected Ichigo to step into his house and punch his face while yelling how much of a motherfucker he was. It was the only possible route and, considering how much time had passed without seeing each other, Grimmjow would've been more than glad to punch him back. He wanted to beat him to a pulp, he wanted to make him bleed and, in the midst of everything, perhaps he would be able to make him listen to him.

None of that happened but Grimmjow wasn't surprised.

After all Kurosaki Ichigo had always been, for a lack of a better word, unpredictable.

Ichigo was already on guard when Grimmjow threw the front door open, he avoided the punch and kicked Grimmjow's shin without hesitation. The blue haired teenager fell painfully on the ground and Ichigo ran inside the house, closing and locking the door behind him, Ichigo smirked proudly at that and without thinking too much he ran upstairs towards Grimmjow's bedroom. He knew by heart the whole house and he felt weird after seeing how little everything had changed.

Once he was on the second floor he kicked the bedroom door and it opened, Ichigo's breath hitched for a second when he saw Rukia's sleeping for on Grimmjow's bed.

"Midget" he said under his breath and ran towards her side.

He took a sit on the bed next to her and put a hand on her forehead, she was boiling. She was also panting and her hands were cold, it was as bad as Ichigo imagined and he wanted to punch himself for being so damn careless. He was so focused on getting to his job on time that he didn't stop to offer Rukia a ride home, this was all his fault.

"I'm sorry" he said and then took out of his backpack the Preptol bottle "I shouldn't have left you alone, I'm an idiot."

He made her drank the medicine while carefully supporting her head. Relief ran through his system the moment she saw her accepting the liquid without trouble, now all he had to do was wait. She was still unconscious but it was a matter of time for her to wake up, he wondered if she was used to the side effects of the Preptol or if he would have to help her deal with those.

"Fuck!" Grimmjow exclaimed angrily while getting into the house through his bedroom window "what the fuck is your fucking problem?!"

Ichigo didn't take off his eyes of Rukia.

"Keep it down, asshole" he said angrily "she needs to rest."

Grimmjow scoffed.

"Whatever" he said carelessly "had I known a girl was enough to make you visit me I would've used her sooner, but I didn't take you as straight."

Ichigo stood up from the bed and glared at Grimmjow.

"What did you do to her?" he asked menacingly while clenching his fists "for you to get a girl involved in this is low, is this what you do now?"

Grimmjow crossed his arms and Ichigo, who still wanted to punch him, noticed how his arms were really toned. He had been exercising and judging by the dangerous glint of his eyes he was ready for a fight. Well, Ichigo was also ready, hell he was actually expecting one.

"If you really want to know what I did to her, check her neck" Grimmjow said smugly "I never managed to do anything more because after that she started praying, then she passed out on my arms."

"Praying?" Ichigo questioned cautiously "that's weird."

Grimmjow laughed.

"You're such a bad actor" he said amused "I know she's a novice, she told me."

Ichigo cursed under his breath.

"What do you want?" he asked Grimmjow, he needed to change the subject so he wouldn't have to reveal Rukia's circumstances "I'm leaving the moment she wakes up so just tell me what the fuck you want."

Grimmjow sighed heavily and took a seat on the floor, next to the bed. The action took Ichigo by surprise but he, reluctantly, did the same.

It was weird, for both of them, to be in this sort of situation. When they broke up Ichigo swore to never talk to him again, he swore to never come back to his house and now he was here, breaking the promise he had done to himself. Grimmjow on his side had promised himself to make sure that Kurosaki Ichigo could never be happy, that's why he tracked him, that's why he kept tabs on him but, before he knew, all of his plans changed. That's why he decided to use the mysterious girl, he just wanted to inform him about something extremely important.

"I don't have all day" Ichigo said angrily and Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair frustrated.

Why was so hard to make Kurosaki Ichigo listen? He would have to speak quickly.

"All I want is a truce" Grimmjow said finally and Ichigo gaped.

"A truce?" Ichigo asked apprehensively "I thought…"

"That I haven't moved on? That I cry for you every night? That I masturbate while thinking about you?"

Ichigo glared at him and then looked at Rukia's sleeping form, she was breathing evenly now and she looked less feverish.

"She can't hear us" Grimmjow said annoyed "stop worrying over her, you already gave her the medicine, didn't you?"

Ichigo scoffed, he was confused and angry but if what Grimmjow was saying was true this was his chance to make the peace with his past, at least with a portion of it.

"Why a truce?" he asked "why now?"

Grimmjow looked at his ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"You know how my parents divorced, right?" he started.

Ichigo nodded, he had been living with him when that happened and he even heard some of the fights while supporting Grimmjow through the whole ordeal. His parents always thought that they were sleeping even though the yelling could be heard all over the place, it was weird for Ichigo considering how his parents loved each other deeply so he never went through something similar.

"Well" Grimmjow said "the old man never recovered, you know? He was crazy about mom but the bills were piling and he was unemployed so I guess that she asked for the divorce just so he wouldn't get in the way while she earned enough money to give me a decent life."

Ichigo nodded again, he knew that too. What was Grimmjow's point?

"Well" Grimmjow continued "I've been living with mom and, while it's hard to believe, the old man never stopped coming to beg for forgiveness. Hell, the bastard haven't even had an adventure, can you believe that?"

"I remember he was scared shitless of your mom" Ichigo commented "that could be the reason."

Grimmjow shrugged.

"Who knows? Mom prayed for him the whole time and, while I'm not religious, I cannot help but believe that it worked."

Ichigo frowned and looked sideways at Rukia's sleeping face.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked cautiously.

"The old man got an amazing job" Grimmjow said and Ichigo's eyes widened "he's been on it for a few months now, he saved enough and he proposed to mom again."

"Did she accept?" Ichigo asked dumbfounded.

Grimmjow nodded solemnly.

"He literally pulled out some apartment keys and told her that he had prepared a place suitable for someone like her, he told her that he was ready to be the man she needed. Quite a pansy, don't you think?"

"Apartment keys?" Ichigo asked, it was taking him a while to process the whole information.

"Yeah" Grimmjow said scratching the back of his head "he's renting this cool place and we'll be moving with him in three days."

Ichigo frowned, he imagined that he wouldn't like where this was going.

"Where is this apartment?" he asked apprehensively.

Grimmjow smirked at him and Ichigo tensed, it had been a while since he had seen Grimmjow bragging about something.

"It's on the same building where your father's bachelor apartment is" he said the smirk never leaving his face "you know, a thirty minute walk from your home."

Ichigo felt as if he had been punched on the stomach but he kept his impassive pose, he had learned that from Byakuya.

_Don't let them know you're upset _the Kuchiki heir said _showing your emotions is like telling them where to stab you._

"What about your school?" Ichigo asked, although judging by Grimmjow's face he could already imagine what he was going to say. Now the fact that Grimmjow wanted to contact him more than anything made a lot of sense.

"That's the thing" Grimmjow said calmly "my mom wants me to have a better education so I am already enrolled in your school, Seireitei High School."

Ichigo was seeing red.

"We'll be classmates, asshole" Grimmjow summarized smiling.

Ichigo couldn't help it anymore, he threw himself at Grimmjow and pinned him to the ground with all of his strength. His sudden movement took Grimmjow by surprise so before he could process what was happening, Ichigo punched him straight on the face and felt himself smirking when he felt the bone cracking, he had been dying to do that for a while.

"You did it on purpose" Ichigo whispered darkly while looking straight at his eyes "you just can't leave me alone!"

Grimmjow's nose was bleeding badly and he was enraged too, so without hesitating he spit at Ichigo's face and the orange haired teenager stood up out of disgust and shock. Ichigo used his own shirt to clean his face but that was a mistake, Grimmjow took that chance to tackle him and this time Ichigo was the one pinned to the ground with Grimmjow on top of him. The orange haired teenager tried to fight back but, just as he suspected, Grimmjow had been exercising. He was stronger than Ichigo remembered.

"Listen to me!" Grimmjow barked straight at his face "I don't give two shits about you thinking that I haven't get over you, think what you want!"

"Fucking bastard!" Ichigo yelled angrily "what's the point of doing all of this?! What's the point if we'll see each other every fucking day?!"

"Isn't it obvious?!" Grimmjow asked while grabbing Ichigo's hair and pulling as hard as he could "I want to make a truce before stepping into your prestigious fucking school!"

"What for?!"

"So none of your fucking friends harass the hell out of me!" Grimmjow explained upset "what is so hard for you to understand?!"

Ichigo stopped struggling and closed his eyes to count to ten. All the while he tried to ignore the way Grimmjow's body was over his, it didn't repulse him but it wasn't the same as before, they were both angry at each other and they both wanted to beat the shit out of each other. Grimmjow seemed to be extremely comfortably, he even accommodate himself over Ichigo and, due to their previous yelling competition, they were both breathing heavily.

"Get the fuck off me" Ichigo said while looking at Grimmjow.

"Or what?" Grimmjow asked amused.

"Rukia might wake up at any minute" Ichigo answered "get the fuck off me."

"Afraid that _my_ little novice might find out that you had something with me?" Grimmjow asked sardonically and that was enough for Ichigo.

He pushed Grimmjow off him and once they were both on their feet Ichigo grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"She's not _your_ little novice" he hissed "don't say anything like that ever again."

Grimmjow chuckled.

"There's a hickey on her neck that proves otherwise, did I touch a nerve?" he asked "fine, listen to what I have to say and I won't tell her how much fun we used to have in the bed in which she's asleep."

Ichigo let go off Grimmjow and put his hands on his pockets.

"She already knows, pig."

Grimmjow's eyes widened.

"What the hell?" he asked surprised "what do you mean?"

Ichigo smirked at Grimmjow's dumbfounded face.

"I told her everything today" Ichigo admitted.

Grimmjow groaned while covering his face.

"This is magnificent" he said sarcastically "no wonder why she said she would pray for me to find repentance."

Ichigo sighed and looked at Rukia. He suddenly thought that perhaps Grimmjow's bed wasn't the best place for her to rest.

"Asshole" Grimmjow said calling his attention "you care a little bit too much for her, don't you? Don't tell me you actually think you deserve someone like her?"

"Deserve? Someone like her?" Ichigo asked frowning "what do you mean by that?"

"Well, she's quite gorgeous to begin with" Grimmjow said as a matter of fact "but besides that she's a novice, she literally is like a pure soul. As far as I'm concerned people like us, who only a year and a half back were doing all kind of atrocious, sinful things, don't even deserve to breathe the same air as hers."

Ichigo felt a pang of remorse on his chest.

"She doesn't care" Ichigo said angrily "she didn't judge me."

"Which only proves that she's a good person and that you, fucking bastard, shouldn't be anywhere near her" Grimmjow said smirking.

Ichigo didn't want to believe the fact that Grimmjow's words were making sense to him. He didn't know Rukia but the small time they had shared actually proved to him that she was a good person, she barely cursed, she made him go to church and while she forced him to help him through blackmail she actually cared about his work schedule and his time with his family. She was living inside his closet and she hadn't complained once! Although Ichigo suspected that his closet was somehow better than the convent.

So why was doing a girl like Rukia near someone like Ichigo? He never questioned this new and unique friendship, until now. Her relationship with him had brought her problems, Ashido and Grimmjow were proof of that.

"You know I'm right" Grimmjow said "or what? Were you planning to keep her with you to use her as a fresh start? I mean, she's pretty different from the girls from the brothel perhaps having her by your side would make you forget that part of your life, was that your plan?"

"I'm out of here" Ichigo said finally while taking his cellphone out of his pocket.

Grimmjow observed how the orange haired teenager dialed a number angrily and wondered if he had pushed him too hard. Either way he was curious, how did Kurosaki Ichigo end up with a novice as a friend? It didn't make sense, no sense at all. The bastard wasn't even religious, what was his deal?

"Yo" Ichigo said to the person at the other side of the line "can you pick me up? I'm at Grimmjow's house and no, I won't answer questions right now, just come pick me up."

He hung up angrily and looked at Grimmjow.

"You have fifteen minutes to tell me what the fuck you want" he said "make this end quickly."

"I thought you hated whenever I ended up quickly" Grimmjow said and Ichigo clenched his fists.

"I know it's hard for you" Ichigo said "but try not to be a pig, okay?"

Grimmjow shrugged.

"Here's the thing" he said "I'm not asking to be part of your gang of anything, I don't care about that, but as long as you manage to be civil with me and not to tell anyone about our past I'll let you, and the sleepy beauty, have a peaceful life at school."

"That's all this truce is about?" Ichigo asked "seriously?"

"Well" Grimmjow said "you have her as a fresh start, I also want my own fresh start, is only fair."

"Is not what you think" Ichigo said "how do I know that you don't have hidden intentions?"

Grimmjow shrugged.

"You don't" he said "my parents are getting their shit together, I want to get my shit together too. You know what my dream is and your school has amazing scholarships for colleges, I don't want anyone to ruin this for me."

"So you're afraid that I might use our past to fuck you over?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm not afraid of anything" Grimmjow retorted "but yeah, I just want to get the hell out of this city and, since I'm not a rich boy like you, I cannot depend on my parents for this."

Ichigo sighed. It was better than he expected and if he was careful he would be able to get some advantage over the whole thing. Well, he would have to give it a chance. Grimmjow was afraid that he might fuck up with him but Ichigo was the same, if Grimmjow wanted he could also ruin him forever. Byakuya wasn't aware of his past and Ichigo was planning on growing, professionally speaking, inside the Kuchiki enterprise.

Taking a deep breath he made a choice.

"I have two conditions" Ichigo said while smirking at Grimmjow "the first one is that you have to cut ties with Ashido, I hate that idiot, I don't want him near me or the midget."

Grimmjow frowned.

"He's useful" he excused himself "the fact that he sent me information is what brought you here, why should I let go off such a nice source?"

"We're both going to be on the same school" Ichigo said as a matter of fact "if you really need to talk to me you'll just have to ask me directly, I won't avoid you."

Grimmjow smirked, that was true besides the Ashido bastard wasn't cheap.

"And the other condition?" he asked curiously.

"I want you to keep an eye on the midget" he said and before Grimmjow could say anything he added "from a safe distance, just to make sure that nothing's happening when I'm not around."

Grimmjow crossed his arms smugly.

"Explain yourself" he said "because for you to actually ask me for this, is quite eventful."

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair frustrated.

"I cannot explain everything" he said "but she might have some problems for being near me, but pushing her away is not an option."

Grimmjow frowned.

"You reputation precedes you" he said "I'm guessing that you already made public that you're close to her, has some of the assholes you hate threaten her?"

"Not yet" Ichigo said "but the whole school already saw her walking with a sweater with my name on it."

Grimmjow chuckled.

"You're such an idiot" he said "but fine, I accept."

"That easy?" Ichigo asked surprised.

"I messed up with her so I'm already expecting divine retribution" Grimmjow explained seriously "if I do this for her, not for you, God might forgive me."

"You're not religious, asshole" Ichigo said.

"I'm not" Grimmjow agreed "but my mom is, do I have to repeat how damn lost my father was? I'm telling you messing up with religious girls is not something anyone should do."

Ichigo sighed and extended his hand.

"Do we have a deal then?" he asked.

Grimmjow nodded and shook his hand; both teenagers tried to ignore the feeling of shaking hands again after so much time.

"Grimmjow…" Ichigo said after a few seconds of silence "do you still feel…?"

"Carrot top?" Rukia asked groggily interrupting Ichigo and his eyes widened, she was finally awake.

* * *

When Rukia opened her eyes she found herself face to face with Ichigo and Grimmjow.

She smiled at both of them, although she probably looked like a mess, she was feeling high, really high and that was just one of the several side effects of the Preptol. She really just wanted to keep sleeping but judging by the room in which she was she wouldn't be able to stay much longer. Trying not to look like an idiot she stood up on the bed, with Ichigo's help, and looked at both teenagers, she didn't know why but she laughed.

"Is she okay?" Grimmjow asked.

Rukia nodded but Ichigo shook his head.

"Her medicine has some side effects" he explained "come, Midget. Someone will come to pick us up soon."

Rukia nodded again with a silly smile and was about to step down of the bed but she tripped clumsily, to her surprise Grimmjow was the one who catch her.

"Thank you" she said and laughed again "I like you better when you're not threatening to steal my virtue."

Grimmjow blushed and Ichigo glared at him.

"You did _what?!_" Ichigo asked angrily.

"I didn't mean it!" Grimmjow hissed and Rukia put her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"Rukia?!" Ichigo asked dumbfounded.

"Sorry" she said while groggily resting her head on Grimmjow's shoulder "I don't feel really well."

"I have no complaints" Grimmjow said while smirking smugly at Ichigo.

"That's enough" the orange haired teenager said fuming "we're getting out of here."

"Wait" Rukia said and then looked at Grimmjow's face "may I pray for you?"

Grimmjow gaped and nodded.

Ichigo observed, annoyed, how Rukia put her forehead against Grimmjow's and started a small prayer. He didn't understand most of it but it sounded deep and judging by Grimmjow's astonished face she was probably praying from the bottom of her heart. Ichigo frowned, the midget had never prayed for him and they even went to church together, did she like Grimmjow even after the bastard basically kidnapped her? Either Rukia was an idiot or she trusted way too much, not to mention that Ichigo didn't like the compromising position she was sharing with Grimmjow.

"Amen" Rukia said finally and passed out again.

Ichigo rolled his eyes as Grimmjow carefully put her on his arms.

"Let's pretend that never happened" Ichigo said.

Grimmjow simply nodded.

* * *

When Kaien received Ichigo's call he knew his cousin had walked all the way towards Grimmjow's house. He never used his boss's car to go anywhere besides his home, school and work. The Kuchikis were strict and their cars had GPS, so when Ichigo asked for a ride he grabbed his keys and called Renji so he wouldn't have to go alone to pick up Ichigo towards his ex's house, once they arrived they parked outside and waited, they had done this more than once so they were used to it.

"Do you think I should go inside?" Renji, who was sitting on the passenger's seat, asked.

Kaien shook his head.

"He'll come out" he said "he sounded upset so I'm guessing that he won't be staying much time."

It was then when the door opened and Renji's eyes widened. Ichigo was coming out of Grimmjow's house with an unconscious Rukia on his arms, he looked pissed and Rukia looked extremely paled. Without being able to help himself he got down of the car and approached Ichigo.

"Is she okay?" he asked worriedly.

Ichigo nodded.

"Just open the door for me, please" he said exasperated "I seriously need to leave this fucking place."

Renji nodded and opened the door of Kaien's car so Ichigo could get on the backseat along with Rukia. Grimmjow then came out of the house and his nose was bleeding. Without saying a word, the blue haired teenager handed the backpacks to Renji who simply nodded at him and once everyone was in the car Kaien drove away from Grimmjow's neighborhood.

* * *

Kaien looked curiously at the back seat through the rear view mirror, his cousin had an unconscious girl on his lap and he was looking at the city passing by through the window, he was sulking. Whatever happened must've been awfully interesting, he wondered if he would be able to ask without getting punched.

"So…" Renji started "are you going to share?"

Ichigo scoffed.

"Do I look like I want to talk?" he asked.

Renji shrugged.

"No" he admitted "but do I look like someone who will give up for something like that?"

Ichigo sighed.

"Start from the beginning" Kaien said before his cousin could talk "I do not know the full story."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and told them everything, Renji already knew about the confrontation with Ashido in the bathroom but Kaien was really surprised. He also explained to them how Grimmjow approached Rukia who, by some sort of awful luck, ended up unconscious and therefore kidnapped. That's why he ended up visiting Grimmjow who just wanted a truce because he was going to be their new classmate and he didn't want to get into troubles with Ichigo.

"To summarize" Renji said amused and worried at the same time "God hates you."

"I'm starting to believe that" Ichigo admitted "I don't know what upsets me more, the fact that I ended up coming back or the fact that the asshole felt way too comfortable using Rukia for this."

Renji shrugged.

"You're both safe and sound" he said "that's all that matters for now."

Kaien nodded agreeing with him and there was a silence of a few minutes. Kaien kept driving and Ichigo looked at Rukia's sleeping face, he couldn't get out of his heads Grimmjow's words about how someone like him didn't deserve her, he somehow believed that.

"Do you think…" Ichigo said finally "that Rukia would be safe if I push her away?"

Kaien frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused "why am I getting some self-loathing vibes here?"

"I mean, everything was fine" Ichigo started "then she gets involved with me and the assholes at school are gossiping about her, then Ashido and now Grimmjow. I mean she's so damn oblivious to everything, can you believe she actually prayed for Grimmjow before leaving?"

Renji chuckled.

"Don't laugh!" Ichigo said annoyed "I mean if this was a normal friendship nothing would've happened, but well… you both know everything I did before and it's not as if it happened ten years ago, it's pretty recent and, fuck. I don't deserve to be near someone like her."

"I'm going to stop you right there, dear cousin" Kaien said angrily "first of all why are you listening to Grimmjow of all people? You ended up things badly with him, he would say anything just to make you feel inferior."

Renji nodded.

"Yeah, besides what exactly are you planning to do?" he asked "are you going to leave her alone after promising to help her? You're not that kind of asshole."

"But…" Ichigo tried to say.

"But what?" Kaien continued "you had a bad time and ended up doing some stupid shit? That's normal, it happens to the best of people all the damn time. You ended up going back home, you pulled yourself together and look at you, you're working at the best enterprise in the whole damn city."

Renji nodded.

"And before you excuse yourself saying how your father helped you with the job, don't forget that your boss threaten you with firing you if you didn't meet his expectations during the first month" he said "you earned the job."

"You're also one of the best of the class" Kaien added "but if this is about fooling around with women, that's over, right? Didn't uncle Isshin made you take STD's tests during six months straight? You're clean!"

Renji nodded.

Ichigo sighed.

"Perhaps you're right…" he said unsure "we all have the right to a fresh new start, don't we?"

Renji and Kaien nodded.

"Enjoy your new friendship with Rukia-chan" Kaien said jokingly "who knows? You might finally give uncle some amazing news, he has been waiting for you to have a girlfriend."

"Don't be an idiot" Ichigo said "we barely know each other."

"But it's like destiny, don't you think?" Renji asked "she spent months planning to escape the convent and when she finally does you end up hitting her with your boss's car, perhaps she prayed for God to find someone to help her and here you are!"

Kaien hit the brakes of the car violently and then looked at Ichigo.

"SHE ESCPAED FROM A _CONVENT_?! YOU'RE HIDING A _NOVICE_?!"

Ichigo promised right there to kick Renji on the balls.

* * *

Kaien dropped Ichigo and Rukia at his house and, after explaining Rukia's situation to him he left along with Renji, who promised to apologize with Rukia for revealing her secret so carelessly. Luckily the twins didn't notice anything strange and Ichigo allowed himself to rest for a while.

Once Rukia was safe and sound on Ichigo's bed he sighed. Her fever was gone and her cheeks had recovered some color, he checked her neck and saw, angrily, how Grimmjow had managed to leave a fucking mark. It infuriated him but hopefully it would fade in a day or two.

Sighing he went downstairs, it was dinner time and tonight even his father would be present.

"Ichi-nii!" Yuzu said happily as Ichigo took a seat in front of her.

Ichigo frowned and then looked at Karin who was smirking at him.

"Why do I feel like I'm going to be interrogated about something?" he asked apprehensively.

It was then when his father stepped into the dining room and without previous announcement threw a flying kick at Ichigo. The orange haired teenager avoided it quickly and with a swift movement kicked his father back. Ichigo smirked proudly at his father started to praise him about a quick reaction.

"Stop it, you two!" Yuzu pouted "we have something to tell you!"

Both Ichigo and Isshin took a seat and waited for the twins to speak.

"Today we went to Ichi-nii's high school" Karin started "he had forgotten his lunch."

"So we took Karin-chan's bicycle but we were followed" Yuzu continued.

"Followed?" Ichigo and Isshin asked at the same time.

Yuzu nodded.

"Apparently Senna wanted to see Ichi-nii too" she explained casually.

Karin smirked at her brother's reaction. He tensed and clenched his fists, always the overprotective one.

"Did she say something to you?" Isshin asked cautiously, he didn't like that girl and he wanted her as far from his family as possible.

"Oh, she was really rude and she demanded to be the one to deliver the lunch" Karin said while waving a hand "but before she could actually do something some helped us."

"Someone?" Isshin asked "who?"

Yuzu smiled.

"Rukia-nee!" she said surprising both Isshin and Ichigo.

"_Rukia-nee?_" Ichigo asked confused.

"Oh, Ichi-nii she's beautiful!" Yuzu said with dreamy eyes "she has gorgeous violet eyes and the kindest smile I've ever seen! How come you told her all about us but you never brought her home?!"

Isshin blinked. This couldn't be true, or it was quite the scary coincidence, how come that just recently Kuchiki Ginrei mentioned Rukia, Byakuya's daughter, and now his daughters were talking about a girl named Rukia too? Could it be the same person? But according to the Kuchiki clan Rukia, the only heiress, was studying overseas and didn't want to come back home? What was happening? And how come Ichigo, the same reserved teenager that was overprotective of his sisters, told this Rukia everything about them? Something was off.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"The midget is crazy as hell" he muttered annoyed "did she fight with Senna?"

Karin shook her head.

"She said that violence wasn't the Christian thing to do" she said and Isshin gaped "so she threatened her with calling you, you should've seen Senna's face! And I'm pretty sure she noticed that Rukia-chan was wearing your sweater, that was priceless."

Isshin was starting to worry, he knew that Ichigo didn't know that Byakuya had a daughter, well… now he wasn't so sure. He needed answers.

"Oh" Isshin said smirking suggestively at Ichigo "who's this Rukia-chan? Where did she come from?"

"Don't look at me like that, old man" Ichigo said annoyed "she's new in town and she just enrolled at my school, we're friends, that's all."

Isshin pouted.

"That's mean, son!" he said dramatically "I'm getting old! I at least want to see you going on dates with pretty ladies!"

"He went to a date with Rukia-chan!" Karin said while smirking at Ichigo who frowned at her "they went to café, that's where he shared his family life with her!"

"Rukia-nee said that I looked like sunshine and that Karin-chan was badass!"

Isshin observed how Ichigo groaned embarrassed.

"Can you stop torturing me now? Is that too much to ask?" he asked his sisters.

"On one condition!" Yuzu said smiling "you have to bring Rukia-chan to have dinner with us!"

_Perfect _Isshing thought _that way I'll know if this Rukia is actually Byakuya's daughter._

"You won't give this a rest, will you?" Ichigo asked and both twins shook their heads.

"She saved us, your sweet sisters, from the Senna bitch" Karin said smugly "it's the least you can do."

"Fine" Ichigo said finally "I'll bring her this Friday, will that make you happy?"

Yuzu nodded and then looked at her father.

"You'll love her dad! She's like a princess, so elegant and kind!"

Isshin nodded as happy tears streamed down his face and he ran towards Masaki's poster.

"Mom! Our useless son is finally going to bring a girl home! I might acquire a third daughter!"

"Shut up, old man!" Ichigo yelled while grabbing the newspaper and throwing it at his father's head while Karin and Yuzu laughed.

_Please, Masaki. Please don't tell me our son is fooling around with his boss's daughter, don't tell me he's such an idiot! _Isshin thought desperately.

* * *

"I should go back to the closet" Rukia said while accepting gratefully the tea Ichigo gave her "you must be tired too."

When Ichigo came back to his room she was already wearing her pajamas and she was sitting on his bed nervously. She was probably remembering how she prayed for Grimmjow, he wanted to tease her about it but there was no need, it was obvious how part of that was because of the side effects of the Preptol.

"It's okay" he said "are you feeling better?"

Rukia nodded.

"I'll pay for the Preptol, carrot top" she said while blushing slightly "was it hard to find?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"We were lucky" he said "I found some at my work, don't worry about it. My boss gave it to me for free."

Rukia's eyes widened.

"I should thank him" she said "although that would be weird, I mean he doesn't know me."

"Don't worry about anything, midget" Ichigo said and frowned when he saw her exposed neck "you'll have to wear my sweater, or a scarf, tomorrow at school."

Rukia blushed and nodded.

"Did he do anything else to you? You can tell me" Ichigo said and Rukia noticed how he clenched his fists angrily.

Rukia shook her head.

"I'm sorry" she said "I was careless, I didn't want him to use me to call your attention. How was your conversation with him?"

Ichigo sighed.

"I'll tell you everything tomorrow" he said while looking at the wall "we both should rest for now."

"Does it bother you? To see this on my neck?" she asked curiously.

Ichigo frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You've been avoiding my gaze the whole time" she explained and the smiled at Ichigo's surprised face "I'm not an idiot, carrot top."

"I don't want to sound like a caveman" Ichigo said apologetic "but the thought of him touching makes my blood boil."

Rukia sighed.

"You know, if it really bothers you" she said shyly "you can replace it, it won't bother me."

"Uh?" Ichigo asked "do you realize what you're saying? Weren't you like wearing a nun's garments just last week? Now you're giving me permission to leave a hickey on your neck?"

Rukia shrugged while blushing.

"It bothers me" she said "I mean I don't know Grimmjow so when I realized the mark was there I felt… uncomfortable. But, if it were you at least I would give consent, do you understand? I don't want any random boy to choose what to do with my body."

"That doesn't make sense" Ichigo said chuckling "let's see, you're ordering me to give you a hickey so now, instead of Grimmjow's mark, you'll have mine? It'll make you feel better?"

"It'll make me believe I had a saying in this whole thing" she explained and blushed deeper "unless you don't want to… I mean…"

Ichigo chuckled and hid his face in the crook of her neck.

"Are you sure?" he asked huskily against her skin.

She shuddered but nodded.

Ichigo proceeded to kiss and bite her neck, just over her previous hickey, and sucked enough to leave a better looking one. Rukia didn't know why it felt so good but she wasn't complaining and judging by Ichigo's contempt sigh he enjoyed the whole thing too.

Ichigo wondered if would face some divine punishment for this but in the end he decided that it would be worth it.

* * *

Kurosaki Isshin was used to stay up late reading, it was an important part of his job to keep up to date his knowledge in the medical field so, whenever his children were already asleep he would pick several medical journals to read before bed. That's why when Ichigo came late at night to talk to him he was surprised.

"Dad" Ichigo said while stepping into the living room "can I talk to you about something?"

Isshin nodded, he avoided to behave goofily, it was obvious how Ichigo had something important to tell him.

"Sure, son" he said "what is it?"

Ichigo took a seat in front of Isshin and sighed heavily.

"Uhm… this is about Rukia" Ichigo said "I wanted to ask you something."

"About my future third daughter?" Isshin asked smiling and Ichigo frowned.

"Stop saying that, old man" Ichigo said annoyed "but yeah, about her."

"What is it?" Isshin asked curiously "I won't lie, son. I'm pretty impressed, Yuzu seems to love her already and she won Karin over, I thought that it would be impossible to have a girl over without Karin giving her quite a nasty glare."

Ichigo chuckled at that.

"So, what is it? Isshin asked.

"Rukia's family situation is pretty special" Ichigo started "she's running away from her father and well… looking for a life on her own."

Isshin frowned as his parental instincts kicked in.

"How old is she?" he asked.

"Fifteen"

Isshin did the math and cursed inwardly. If his suppositions were right, Ichigo was talking about Kuchiki Rukia.

"What's her last name?" Isshin asked.

Ichigo shook his head.

"She doesn't want to use her father's last name any longer" he explained "so she hasn't told me that."

Isshin's eyes widened, that was another red flag.

"The thing is" Ichigo continued "that she's sick, she has a really weak immunological system and she had a crisis today."

Isshin sighed heavily. It was just like Hisana-san then? He was now ninety nine percent sure that this was Kuchiki Rukia.

"Do you want me to check her?" he asked and Ichigo nodded.

"I'll pay you, I mean she's…"

Isshin raised a hand for Ichigo to stop talking.

"Take her to the hospital tomorrow after school" Isshin said "it's just a check-up so there's no need to make a fuss about money."

Ichigo nodded gratefully.

"Thanks, dad!" he said.

"No need to thank me, son" he said happily "I cannot wait to meet my future third daughter!"

Ichigo glared at his father and threw a medical journal at him.

"She's not your third daughter, damn it!"

Isshin laughed and hoped that this Rukia wasn't Kuchiki Rukia otherwise there was no telling what Byakuya would do.

Well, he would get his answers tomorrow.

* * *

**You have NO idea of how much time I've spent writing this. My cats and my mom kept interrupting me and then words would fail me and now I can only expect that you understand most of it, seriously, what's up with people (and cats) about talking to me when I'm on the computer? Anyway, I hope you liked it and in the next one papa Isshin meets his third daughter. **

**I've been dying to write about it for a while now.**

**So, what do you think Isshin will do? Will he spill the beans or will he keep the secret? Take a wild guess and we'll see who wins, okay? **

**Now, your reactions for the last chapter were priceless. All of you made me smile, thank you. **

**Achalida: I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! I honestly wasn't sure about how everyone would perceive it, but I'm really thankful that you're still reading! Let me know if you also liked this chapter! Kisses, take care!**

**Bleach power: I loved your review! I'm glad you like Byakuya suffering, I have more scenes planned about it! Thank you for your congratulations, I really appreciate it! Let me know if you liked this chapter, I'll be waiting for your review! Take care! Kisses! **

**Shirayuki992: I loved your review so much that I don't even know where to start! Well, thank you so much for your support, it had been a while since I last saw one of your reviews so it made me really happy! Thank you, your words meant a lot. I hope you liked this chapter and I cannot wait to read what you think about it! Let me know, okay? Kisses and thank you again!**

**Haru000: Thank you so much for your review! I do plan to explore that part of them more, I think it's necessary for both of them, I'll just wait for another few chapters. Thank you so much for your support! Let me know if you liked this chapter, okay? Take care, kisses!**

**IronClawedDemon: Oh, okay I respect that. Thank you for reading until there, take care. **

**Obananasan: OH MY GOD I WAS SO NERVOUS ABOUT YOUR REACTION AND YOU DIDN'T DISAPPOINT ME! HAHAHA! Okay, seriously thank you so much for your review, I understand the trope you're talking about and I must (guiltily) admit that I used to enjoy that when I was younger. Although, that's not the case in this story and hopefully you were able to find some insights here. Thank you so much for your support and I will be expecting your review! Let me know what you think about this chapter okay? Kisses!**

**uchihaNaruto247: Thank you so much for your review! And thank you for your support too! I'm really glad you think it fits the story perfectly, seriously! I'll be waiting for your reaction about this chapter, take care and kisses! **

**kleinegirl87: Si, yo también lo creo JAJAJAJA. Me alegro mucho que no te moleste, millones de gracias por tu review. Déjame saber si te gustó este cap también, besos. **

**RukiYuki: Thank you so much for your review! Yes, Ichigo and Grimmjow HAHAHA. Let me know what you think about this chapter, kisses! Take care! **

**Natsumivat: Siempre adoro tus reviews, y tenemos eso en común, la verdad es que solo leo Ichiruki pero no me molesta ver a Grimmjow cerca de Ichigo JAJAJA. Me gusta que estes contenta con el drama escolar, a veces siento que pongo demasiado de eso pero es un guilty pleasure JAJAJA. Espero tu review para ver qué opinas de este capítulo y para cualquier duda estoy a la orden. Besos. **

**Vick Greystark: YOUR REVIEW MADE ME SO HAPPY THANK YOU! Yes, they had sex HAHAHA. Oh, I'm so glad you liked that Grimmruki scene, I might add some more because I enjoy them too. About Ichigo and Grimmjow's sexuality I might explain in another chapter because those two still need to talk, thanks again. Let me know what you think about this chapter, kisses.**

**See you all in the next update. **

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Warnings:**

**-So, I've nothing against convents but this is all for the plot. **

**-Not explicitly but physical abuse is implied in here, if you're sensitive about it I suggest you not to read. **

**-I had to rush the whole school day so Isshin could finally find out about everything but the high school action comes back in the next one. **

**-I'm obviously not a doctor so if you find any mistakes with the medical exam I'm sorry. **

**Happy reading. **

**Chapter 11**

* * *

Riruka went through twitter aimlessly as the students started to arrive at the classroom. She didn't feel like talking to anyone so she kept her eyes glued to her phone hoping to find something entertaining to read unfortunately her classmates, and the school population in general, weren't sharing anything she wanted to know. She was about to give up on twitter when she read something that called her attention.

"_Seriously, if you want to make everyone aware that you have your eyes set on the new girl just have lunch with her. There's no need to make her go around wearing your name." _

Riruka frowned.

"…_And here I was thinking that he wasn't interested in girls, damn I was wrong."_

"_The fact that the shady dude can get a cute girl and I can't… preposterous."_

All of those tweets were from random boys of the school but there was no mistake, they were all taking about Ichigo and Rukia. Riruka frowned, she didn't want her friend caught up in senseless drama so of course she would warn her about it. Hopefully Rukia wouldn't do anything suspicious again, yesterday she wore Ichigo's sweater because she was sick but perhaps she would be feeling better today.

Today there was no need for her to wear Kurosaki Ichigo's sweater.

* * *

After seeing the hickey Ichigo left on her shoulder, Rukia decided that the sweater was the safest option to hide it, a scarf would look ridiculous considering how it wasn't that cold and besides, considering how careless she was, she might end up losing the scarf at some point. The sweater would be fine.

Ichigo also explained his whole conversation with Grimmjow on their way to school and Rukia couldn't help but worry, she still remembered how she felt while being trapped by him in the alley, she didn't want to go through that again. Although Ichigo assured her that he would respect the deal, apparently it was in everyone's best interests. Rukia didn't question him any longer, Ichigo still looked uncomfortable talking about him.

Rukia looked at the passing city through the car, whoever Ichigo's boss was he definitely had good taste when it came to cars. The Audi was wonderful, it made her feel as a silly rich girl going to school with no worries and it was pure bliss.

"What are you smiling about?" Ichigo asked her.

Rukia shrugged.

"Don't get a big head over this" she said casually "but I feel like a rich girl with you in this car."

Ichigo chuckled.

"Really?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah" Rukia said nodding "I never expected to leave the convent behind so, for me, going with a boy to school is quite the accomplishment, I wish the girls back in the convent could see me now."

Ichigo had never asked about the convent, it was more than obvious how Rukia hated the place so he didn't want to touch sensitive topics but he couldn't contain his curiosity.

"How were they? You mentioned how you didn't have friends there" he said carefully.

Rukia sank into the leather seat and shrugged.

"Well… they were there because they wanted to" she started to explain "I guess that's one of the reasons why we could never get along, besides while it was a convent there was a girl that everyone treated as the leader."

Ichigo nodded to let her know that he was paying attention.

"She hated my guts" Rukia said bitterly "so the others would follow her lead, since I had no one I would be the last one in the line for food, in the line for the morning prayers and I got the worst bed of all. It was tiresome."

Ichigo frowned.

"They would also get all the hot water and once it was my turn to use the showers I would always feel like freezing to death."

Ichigo was starting to feel angry.

"Why would she hate you so much?" he asked "it doesn't make sense."

Rukia bit her bottom lip.

"Well…" she said while fidgeting nervously "I was already a hot topic when I got there at twelve, mainly because I was forced to be there but also because of my last name."

"Your last name?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia cleared her throat.

"You'll see, carrot top" she said "since you shared that with me I guess it's only fair that I do it too" she took a deep breath "my father is rich, he's quite known in the business world."

"It makes sense" Ichigo said without hesitation.

"You're not surprised?" Rukia asked with widened eyes "why aren't you reacting?"

"Midget" Ichigo said calmly without taking his eyes off the road "I'm a little bit surprised but I guess I suspected, I mean you don't look poor."

Rukia frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I don't want to sound like a classist asshole" he said "but your table manners are impeccable, your vocabulary is extensive, you said you needed Preptol and that medicine is expensive as hell and can only be obtained through prescription or good connections with good doctors."

Rukia blinked, he didn't look like it but he was quite observant.

"You didn't make a fuss when you saw my motorcycle, or my boss's car, you went shopping without a care and came back with a huge, expensive as fuck rabbit plushie" he kept saying "now, don't get a big head for what I'm about to say…"

Rukia smirked, she knew she was about to flatter her.

"But you also have good taste, the backpack you bought and the hat at that store the first day are proof of that" he said "you walk as if you trained with a book over your head since your early years and you sit down with your back straight, unlike the rest of our classmates."

Rukia waved a hand dismissively.

"You'll make me blush, Kurosaki-kun" she said with fake sweetness "I'm that obvious, uh?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Sort of" he said shrugging "which only makes your whole situation even more interesting, I noticed how you are struggling to save the money you brought from the convent so I'm guessing that calling daddy dearest is still out of the question."

Rukia nodded sadly.

"I also have my grandparents" she said "I thought about calling them and ask for money, well I thought about it for a second when I was at the Chappy store, but I'm not ready to face them, I don't know if I ever will."

Ichigo sighed.

"There's no pressure" he said as he parked at school "we have enough Preptol now and it's not like you need money right now."

Rukia smiled at him.

"Having a rich friend comes with some perks, I see" she said playfully.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and poked her forehead.

"Remember we'll see my father today at the hospital" he said "yesterday my boss gave me some paperwork to work from home so I'll take you."

Rukia nodded.

She couldn't wait to meet Ichigo's father.

* * *

"I'm sorry to call you on such short notice" Byakuya said to Isshin as they both walked towards Ginrei's room "he assures us that he's okay but he was quite… disappointed yesterday. We're afraid his mood might affect his health."

Isshin nodded.

"I checked him recently and everything's in order" he said "what happened? Did you get bad news about a business?"

Byakuya looked at him emotionless.

"You know business is not enough to actually get him sad" he said and then stopped walking "it's Rukia."

Isshin kept quiet, he didn't want to ask questions directly so he needed to listen first. Besides, he was thinking about Ichigo's mysterious friend but he still couldn't be sure that it was the same girl. He was hoping that it wouldn't be the same girl.

"Your daughter" Isshin said after a few seconds of silence "Ginrei-sama mentioned how she didn't want to come back home, perhaps she's having fun overseas."

Byakuya sighed heavily and looked at Isshin with all seriousness.

"Rukia is here, in Karakura" he said suddenly "when she was twelve I left her, against my grandfather's wishes, in a convent and she escaped just recently. Some unknown man is helping her to hide from us and she called us a few days ago saying she doesn't want to be a Kuchiki anymore."

Isshin laughed hard, it was weird for Byakuya to be so damn funny so he couldn't help it. He was lying, right? No father would ever do that, right? Not even Byakuya could be that cold… right? It took five seconds for Isshin's laughter to stop and when he realized that Byakuya, his close friend, wasn't lying he grabbed him by his shoulders and looked at him at the eyes.

"What kind of sick bastard abandons her twelve year old daughter in a convent?!" Isshin asked shocked "are you telling me that sweet Rukia-chan is out there somewhere without her family's protection?!"

Byakuya regretted telling him but nodded.

"It'll be okay" he assured Isshin "once we find the scoundrel who's keeping my daughter away from me I'll make sure he pays."

Isshin smiled weakly at Byakuya.

_Please, Ichigo don't tell me you're the idiot who's hiding Kuchiki Rukia_ Isshin thought _please, my son._

* * *

Once Ichigo took a seat on his desk he noticed how Rukia left the classroom with Riruka, there was still time before the teacher started the class so he supposed they were going to the bathroom to take care of some girly business.

"She's still wearing your sweater" Renji said while casually taking a seat next to Ichigo "is she still sick?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"I left a hickey on her neck last night" Ichigo said as if he was talking about the weather "the sweater hides it perfectly."

Renji stared, wide eyed, at Ichigo.

"How did things go from "I don't deserve to be near her" to "I left a hickey on her neck last night"?" the redhead asked dumbfounded "is there anything you want to share?"

Ichigo groaned, he didn't want to talk about it.

"I'm going to hell" he said worriedly after a few seconds "she'll send me to hell with her antics."

Renji patted his best friend on the back in a supportive manner.

"Well, then the least you can do is to enjoy it" he said jokingly and Ichigo glared at him.

He didn't want to tell him that he had, in fact, enjoyed it very much.

* * *

"Take off the sweater" Riruka ordered once they were inside the bathroom "now."

"Uh? Why?" Rukia asked frowning.

"Because you're not sick anymore" Riruka said as if it was obvious "and because people are gossiping about you and Ichigo on twitter."

Rukia's eyes widened as she smiled, Riruka wondered if her friend had finally gone nuts. It was the only possibility, who else would get happy after hearing how people are gossiping about your private life? Not that Ichigo and Rukia were discreet but still.

"Oh, I want a twitter" Rukia said with a smile and Riruka felt the need to smack her "also an Instagram account, I don't like Facebook that much but…"

"Loser!" Riruka said interrupting her angrily "are you even paying attention?!"

Rukia sighed and smiled at her friend.

"Listen, I don't care if boys gossip, really" she said carelessly "besides "it's not anyone's business so don't let it bother you."

Riruka rolled her eyes.

"Then you leave me no choice" she said and threw herself at Rukia.

Rukia gasped as she struggled while Riruka kept pulling the sweater, she didn't look like it but Riruka was quite strong and since Rukia was not feeling very well she gave in, afraid that the sweater could get ruined. Riruka held it victoriously over her head.

"See? It's not that bad and…" Riruka's smile faded as she saw Rukia's neck "what is that?"

"What's what?" Rukia asked innocently.

Riruka pointed at her neck.

"That!" she said as if she was seeing the most shocking thing anyone could think of.

"Oh, well…" Rukia babbled blushing "I can explain, but I swear… I mean, stop looking at me like that! I asked him to…"

Riruka threw the sweater back at Rukia.

"Put that on again!" she said "a sweater is nothing compared to a fucking hickey, what the fuck?"

Rukia chuckled as she put on the sweater again, she was expecting this kind of reaction.

"So, what happened?" Riruka asked while crossing her arms.

Rukia sighed.

"I'll tell you everything at lunch, we should leave otherwise we'll be late for class."

Riruka nodded.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" she said and smirked "we'll have lunch with Hinamori and Rangiku-san today, they finally managed to convince the principal to change their schedules."

Rukia smiled, those were amazing news.

* * *

Yoruichi observed as his husband stepped into her store as if he owned the place, she rolled her eyes ready to ask him why he was visiting when he smiled at her and handed her a thick envelope.

"Uh?" Yoruichi asked confused "for you to actually collect physical evidence this must be good."

Urahara Kisuke smiled.

"You were curious about what your goddaughter was up to" he said while taking a seat on the counter "so, when my investigation on the convent was over I searched for her in the city."

Yoruichi observed the envelope with hesitation.

Hisana had been her best friend for as long as she could remember, so when she died and Byakuya took little Rukia to Tokyo she felt quite sad. She knew it was for the best and Ginrei-sama would send her pictures of Rukia, her goddaughter, quite regularly but after seeing Rukia stepping into her store she knew something happened.

That's why she sent Urahara to investigate and what he found out wasn't nice.

She was more than glad that Rukia was outside the convent, the only thing that prevented Yoruichi for marching there and setting the whole place on fire was the fact that that single action would send her to jail… and probably to hell too.

"Open the envelope" Urahara said kindly "I already know who's helping her, something tells me you'll be glad."

Yoruichi frowned at him.

"Is it a boy?" she asked.

Urahara nodded.

Yoruichi huffed.

"That bastard better not take advantage of her" she said while opening the envelope angrily "whoever hides a teenage girl…"

She stopped talking as her eyes widened.

Urahara smiled at her reaction.

"The pictures are from last weekend, they were taken from a security camera near the church" he explained "I would say that she found herself quite a reliable boy, don't you think?"

Yoruichi gaped. In the picture she was holding Rukia was walking towards Ichigo's motorcycle along with him, apparently they went to church together. She kept looking at the other pictures as if her life depended on it.

"Oh, I took those ones" Urahara said proudly.

Ichigo was waiting just behind his house in Byakuya's car as Rukia left the Kurosaki's house through Ichigo's bedroom window. She was wearing the Seireitei High School uniform and she was smiling. There were more pictures of them going together to school, or getting back home and on another one that was obviously taken from a security camera they were both chatting calmly at a café.

"How is this possible? How come Byakuya hasn't found her?" she asked looking at Urahara.

"Well…" the blonde man said smirking "during my investigation I came upon certain discoveries. First of all the Kuchikis know that she's in Karakura but they do not know where exactly or with whom, meanwhile your goddaughter does not know that Kurosaki Ichigo works for the Kuchikis and our stupid godson does not know that the girl he's helping is the Kuchiki heiress."

Yoruichi couldn't help it anymore so she started to laugh. She couldn't believe it!

"That's quite a messy situation!" she exclaimed happily "an entertaining messy situation! What about Isshin? Does he know anything?"

Urahara chuckled.

"He just found out that his son is friend of a girl named Rukia" he explained "he called me today to ask if our appointment is still on and he mentioned how Ichigo was going to take a girl, who coincidentally has the same name as Kuchiki Byakuya's daughter, to the hospital today."

"So, he's about to get the surprise of his life" Yoruichi summarized.

Urahara nodded.

"I told him that we would go to the hospital and we would wait for him until his appointment with the mysterious girl was over."

Yoruichi smiled at the pictures.

"Well" she said "I do want to see her again."

"I was thinking" Urahara said "since we were going to spend this weekend in the country side, why don't we invite the Kurosakis? They might take Rukia-chan with them."

Yoruichi looked at him with her eyes glinting mischievously.

"I just remembered why I married you" she said playfully with a cat like grin.

Urahara took off his hat and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Is it because I am good looking?" he asked.

"Don't be so full of yourself" she told him and he laughed.

* * *

The day was going faster than Rukia expected and she was getting nervous. The worst part was that she wasn't used to feel like this.

"What is it?" Riruka asked her when she noticed her uneasiness, they were both walking towards the rooftop to have lunch.

"I have an appointment with Doctor Kurosaki today after school" Rukia said and then looked at Riruka with widened eyes "what if he doesn't like me?"

Riruka chuckled.

"You're worried about him not liking you?" she asked "and here I was thinking that you were afraid of hospitals or something like that."

Rukia frowned.

"I'm serious" she said "I literally live inside his house and he doesn't know, how I am supposed to handle a conversation with him? "Oh yes, hello! I'm the girl who's been blackmailing your son after he hit me with his boss's car?" God, I don't even know what I'm nervous about."

"Loser, calm down" Riruka said "I don't know him personally but he's a good Doctor and he's actually nice with teenagers."

"How do you know?" Rukia asked curiously.

"Well, all of Ichigo's close friends go to his hospital whenever they're sick or just want a check-up" Riruka explained "Renji, Kaien, Chad, Keigo and some others."

"What about Ishida?" Rukia asked.

"They are close friends but their parents don't get along" Riruka said "Ishida's father is also a Doctor."

"Oh" Rukia said "I didn't know that."

Riruka shrugged.

"My point is that you should relax" she suggested "besides, if his sisters already told him how you saved them from Senna that man will ask you to join the family at some point, mark my words."

"Don't be ridiculous" Rukia said smiling.

"I'm serious" Riruka said smirking mischievously at her "rumor says that he's been begging Ichigo to bring a girl home and well… he doesn't know but Ichigo already has a girl at home."

Rukia blushed.

"Shut up" she said.

Riruka laughed as they reached the rooftop.

"Oh, we've been waiting for both of you" Rangiku said as she saw them and Momo, who was with her, smiled at them.

Rukia smiled, she was really enjoying her normal school life.

* * *

Grimmjow finished carrying boxes into his new apartment and frowned. He was finally going to start a new life and he didn't know how to feel about it, the change was nice and his room was bigger now. His mother was happy and his father looked as if he wanted to go to the nearest church to thank God the fact that he was back with his family so, all things considered, this was a good day. The only thing that had Grimmjow as an anxious mess was the fact that tomorrow was his first day at Seireitei High School.

He didn't want to see Ichigo and he didn't want to see Rukia.

He didn't want to see the orange haired boy because he still resented the shit out of him and he didn't want to see Rukia because he was still waiting for divine retribution to befall over him. Sighing he decided to focus on ignoring both of them, besides what were the possibilities of both of them ending in the same class? There were other classrooms, right?

Sighing he wrote a text.

**To:** _Ashido._

"_Once you see me tomorrow stay the hell away from me, I don't need you anymore." _

He pressed send and started to unpack.

He was going to respect his part of the deal.

* * *

Once the classes were over Ichigo and Rukia headed over the hospital. The ride was quiet as Ichigo put on some music, Rukia kept her eyes closed most of the time while trying not to think about her nervousness, if Riruka was right Ichigo's father was a nice man and besides, she had been going to hospitals her whole life, this was nothing new.

She could handle a basic check-up.

"We're here, midget" Ichigo said as he parked in the Doctor's section.

"You're allowed to park here?" she asked.

He nodded while smirking smugly.

"Being the son of the owner has a few perks" he said "besides, I asked my father to save us a place. This way we'll avoid walking through reception."

"Is there a reason why you don't want to go through reception?" she asked curiously.

Ichigo sighed heavily.

"Something tells me you'll find out in a matter of minutes" he said.

Rukia got down of the car and walked with him towards the Doctor's entrance. She had to admit that she felt quite privileged of being able to avoid the usual registration process, she also noticed how several Doctors greeted Ichigo with a smile, he had obviously spent some time in here. Rukia kept walking with him until they reached an elevator door, they both got inside once the doors were opened. Ichigo had told her how his father's office was on the last floor and she was glad, she loved heights so she wanted to take a chance to watch the view.

She was about to ask how many floors the hospital had when Rukia noticed how two nurses, who were inside the elevator with them, kept looking at her with amusement. She frowned, was there something on her face?

Ichigo frowned after noticing the nurse's reactions towards Rukia, this was the part he disliked about coming to the hospital.

"Kurosaki-sama" one of the nurses said "it's been a while."

The nurse was young with black hair and brown eyes while the other was a blonde one with blue eyes, both of them were pretty and young and Rukia found herself uncomfortable in their presence. They looked really pretty and clean, while Rukia felt like a mess, she was wearing Ichigo's huge sweater and she was still pale from yesterday's crisis.

"Yeah" Ichigo said while putting his hands in his pockets without looking at them "I've been busy."

Both nurses chuckled flirtatiously.

"What brings you here?" the blonde nurse asked curiously.

"Personal appointment" Ichigo asked crossly.

Rukia noticed how both nurses looked at her.

"Personal?" the black haired one asked rudely "are you taking her to your father? Were you two behaving badly and now you have to get rid of something… perhaps?"

Rukia blushed angrily and the elevator stopped.

"Come, midget" Ichigo said while taking her hand "this is our floor."

Rukia followed him and noticed how the nurses looked at her angrily.

"Don't listen to them" Ichigo said once they were out of earshot "they are temporary interns, I doubt they'll pass my father's approval. They do not fit the hospital requirements."

Rukia rolled her eyes.

"What's up with them?" she asked upset "they looked at me as if I stole something from them."

Ichigo chuckled. He wasn't going to tell her how the nurses always flirted with him, it was annoying and one of the reasons why he didn't like to come to the hospital. Besides something was telling him that if he were to explain her that they were probably jealous of her she wouldn't believe him, but how could he look at any other girl when Rukia was right next to him? He would choose violet eyes over blue or brown eyes any day.

Although he wasn't going to tell her that either.

* * *

Isshin looked at the picture Byakuya had given him of Rukia, he told him that if he were to see her in the hospital or in the clinic he should inform him immediately. Isshin, who still hadn't completely processed everything that Byakuya told him, thought that Rukia was gorgeous and a split image of Kuchiki Hisana, he only hoped that she was okay and that she wasn't with her son because Byakuya, Soujun and Ginrei were extremely angry at the fact that an outsider was keeping her all for himself.

Isshin sighed as he put the picture inside his wallet.

While Rukia looked a lot like her mother she also shared a fair amount of traits with Byakuya and it was more than obvious, at least for Isshin, the pale skin and the jet black hair. Isshin thought that that was good, his son couldn't be an idiot, he should notice if a girl like that would approach him, right? After all Ichigo used to see Byakuya almost on a daily basis, he couldn't ignore something like that, right?

"Dad" Ichigo said while stepping into his office "I've brought Rukia…"

Isshin looked at the girl who stepped into the office with his son and gaped. Jet black hair, white skin, gorgeous violet eyes, Isshin's eyes widened as realization hit him like a truck.

Kuchiki Rukia was inside his office wearing his son's sweater.

"Dad?" Ichigo asked while looking at his father's dumbfounded expression "are you…"

He never got to finish the question because in that moment Isshin he ran towards Ichigo and kicked him on the face, Ichigo fell backwards and Isshin started to cry dramatically.

"You're an idiot! An irrevocable idiot! I did not raise you like this! I did not!" Isshin said while wondering if he could get Ichigo out of the country before Byakuya could kill him.

Rukia blinked confused at the exchange, was this their usual father-son greeting? In the middle of a hospital? Well, it fitted with the noises she would hear at dinner time from Ichigo's room.

Isshin composed himself and then turned to look at Rukia.

"Nice to meet you, Rukia-chan!" Isshin said kindly "I'm Kurosaki Isshin, this idiot's father!"

Rukia smiled at him.

"Nice to meet you!" she said with a smile.

_Ichigo, you're so dead_ Isshin thought.

* * *

Once Ichigo had regained consciousness Isshin took them towards his office where they both took a seat in front of his desk. Isshin observed the girl before him, Kuchiki Rukia was gorgeous and Isshin couldn't help but think that she was quite skinny for her age, she also looked really pale. Isshin couldn't help but smirked amused at the fact that she was wearing her son's favorite sweater and, judging by Ichigo's careless pose, he was completely comfortable in her presence.

This was going to be interesting.

"So, let's work on the introductions" Isshin said "as I told you my name is Isshin and this useless boy is my son."

Rukia chuckled.

"You already met my daughters so the only mystery left is you" Isshin said while smiling at her "tell me about you, please."

Rukia nodded, apparently the twins told him about her.

"My name is Rukia" she started "I'm fifteen years old, I'm new in town and I recently befriended your useless son, we're in the same class."

Isshin laughed, she already liked her.

"No last name?" Isshin asked curiously and noticed how she tensed up immediately, that was a bad sign.

"I'm not in good terms with my family right now," she said carefully as her smile faded "so I'm not using any last name right now."

Isshin nodded, he needed to be careful otherwise she wouldn't trust him.

"Oh" he said as if everything made sense "that'll be a problem in order to tag your check-up today, is it okay with you if I put your test results under my last name?"

Isshin hold his laughter as he saw Ichigo's eyes widened and Rukia blushing slightly.

"Kurosaki Rukia?" she asked shyly and Isshin smiled widely at her.

"It has a nice ring to it, if you ask me" he said and was glad to see her smiling again.

"If it's easier for you to label my results of today it's okay with me" she said relaxing.

Isshin nodded.

"Well then" he continued "I assume that you're not staying with your family so I must ask, where are you living?"

Isshin didn't fail to notice how Ichigo and Rukia exchanged a look, they didn't want to tell him and he didn't know how to feel about it. He wanted to check the address to make sure that she was in good hands or at least in a safe environment but if Ichigo was also keeping the secret that meant that he knew where she lived. His son wasn't the type of boy that would let a girl live on her own in a dangerous place so could it be that…?

Isshin's eyes widened.

"If it's okay with you" Rukia said interrupting his thoughts "can you send the results to your own house? Ichigo can keep them for me."

Isshin frowned.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"It's okay, old man" Ichigo said casually "she's new around here, she doesn't know how the mail works yet."

Isshin nodded as he started to worry, Ichigo was helping her so he was probably hiding her somewhere. Isshin at first thought about his bachelor's apartment but discarded the idea, he still had the security cameras on place and the housekeeper kept going every week and no one had informed him of anything. So there were only two options left, at a friend's house which was not likely otherwise they would've said that without hesitation or…

Ichigo was a bigger idiot than he gave him credit for and he was hiding Kuchiki Rukia at his own house.

_Damn_ Isshin thought _how come he never gave me this amount of problems when he was younger?_

"Well, it's okay" Isshin said finally and then got ready for business "Ichigo told me that you had a crisis yesterday, Rukia-chan."

Rukia nodded while blushing slightly.

"I already told him not to worry" she said "I just caught the flu, unfortunately my weak immunologic system takes every little thing to the next level, so it got bad but I'm fine already…"

"She passed out" Ichigo interrupted her "she still looks pale and she hasn't eaten in the whole day, she was struggling to stay awake in class."

Rukia frowned at Ichigo, she didn't know he had been watching her through the day.

"That's normal," she muttered "it usually takes me more than a few hours to go back to normal."

Isshin nodded.

"That's true, but you can never be too careful" he said "I don't mean to be rude but why did the flu escalated so fast? Don't you have your medicine prepared for times like this?"

"I didn't have it with me at the time" she explained almost apologetic "I had to wait for a few hours."

Isshin wondered if this was her usual behavior with doctors, he didn't want her to be apprehensive near him.

"By the time she drank the medicine she had already endured a high fever, she passed out and her hands were cold as fuck" Ichigo kept on explaining "I had to…" he cleared his throat "someone carried her towards her house because she couldn't stay awake."

Isshin frowned as he wrote down that.

"Where did you pass out?" he asked "at school?"

Both teenagers exchanged another look, something bad happened yesterday.

Rukia cleared her throat.

"On my way home" she said "luckily a… friend help me out."

Isshin sighed. This was taking him nowhere, he needed to understand everything that happened plus Rukia's situation in order to decide what to tell Byakuya. He needed a family history to work out with in order to give her an accurate diagnostic and he needed to know where she lived so he could be at ease, this was Byakuya's daughter, it was worrisome to have her going around town passing out while his idiotic son completely ignored her true identity.

"Listen, you two" Isshin said while getting serious "as a Doctor I've made the compromise to keep a healthy relationship with my patients so you can be at ease, everything you say to me today is strictly confidential."

Rukia nodded.

"And you" Isshin added while looking at Ichigo "you brought her here but you know, better than anyone, that I cannot treat her correctly if I don't have the whole picture. I need your honesty too in order to work this out."

Ichigo groaned.

"If we refuse?" he asked.

"Are you challenging me?" Isshin asked smirking "so you're really hiding something."

"Once we tell you everything" Ichigo said "you'll feel the need to kill me."

Isshin waved a hand dismissively.

"You can handle a few kicks, otherwise you wouldn't be my son."

Rukia looked at Isshin.

"I'll tell you everything" she said while bracing herself "but I cannot reveal my family's name, or where I'm staying, that's out of the question."

_It doesn't matter_ Isshin thought _I have all of her family records and I'm ninety percent sure that she lives at my house_.

"It's okay" he said "now, start from the beginning you two, and don't let outside any details."

Rukia took a deep breath and started to explain. As the words left her mouth Isshin felt the need to punch Byakuya on the face and to beat Ichigo unconscious, he also felt the need to adopt her as his third daughter, by the time she told him about what happened to her yesterday Isshin was already on the floor while trying to beat Ichigo to a pulp.

"Get off me, old man!" Ichigo yelled angrily.

"You don't let a sick girl who's about to pass out to go by herself to her house!" Isshin yelled equally angry "didn't I teach you anything?! You even worked here for a few months! Didn't you learn anything?!"

"I already know I made a mistake, old man!" Ichigo said while kicking his father off him "I already apologized, it won't happen again!"

"Besides I'm fine" Rukia interrupted them "nothing happened."

"That was mere luck" Isshin said while standing up and arranging his coat "who helped you?"

Rukia looked at Ichigo who nodded at her, they promised to be honest after all.

"Grimmjow helped me" she said and Isshin stared at her surprised.

"Are you okay?" he asked her "did he do anything to you?"

Rukia blushed and gulped, that was a bad sign. Isshin cursed inwardly if Grimmjow touched her or if he had gone even farther than that they would need a female doctor and perhaps a pill, he prayed that wasn't the case.

"Well" Rukia started carefully "I'm pretty sure that whatever you're imagining is worse than what actually happened, he is really violent but he didn't do anything indecent to me, I passed out on his arms as he was asking me about your son."

Isshin looked at Ichigo.

"He took her to his house" Ichigo said "I went to pick her up, he didn't touch her."

Isshin sighed relieved.

"Were you planning to tell me that you had seen him?" he asked Ichigo.

"Of course I was" Ichigo answered without hesitation "but I'll explain everything at dinner, you should be focusing on your patient right now."

Isshin nodded.

"We'll take the tests now" he said and Rukia nodded "go to the examination room, I have to make a call really quick."

* * *

Yoruichi took a seat in the usual waiting room along with Urahara and sighed. She had seen Byakuya's car in the parking lot so it was obvious how Ichigo and Rukia were already in the hospital, she only hoped that they would be able to talk to them before they could leave, she really wanted to see Rukia again, especially after Byakuya visited her store.

Yoruichi knew that Rukia was not in danger anymore but that didn't mean that she couldn't keep an eye on her, Hisana had named her Rukia's godmother for a reason after all.

_Well, Hisana_ Yoruichi thought _your daughter is creating quite the situation for your dear husband, I wish you could be able to see this unfold_.

It was then when the waiting room's door opened violently.

"I knew you would be here!" Isshin said while getting into a waiting room with a frantic expression "I have a problem."

Yoruichi and Urahara smiled at him.

"Oh my" Urahara said happily "we were going to wait patiently for you but apparently something happened, are you okay?"

Isshin shook his head in negative, even words were failing him. How was he supposed to explain his current situation? It was ridiculous to an untold degree.

"Let me guess" Yoruichi said before he could speak "Kuchiki Rukia is waiting for you along with your son and they just told you how she's escaping from Byakuya."

Isshin gaped and looked at Urahara angrily.

"You could've warned me!" he said as he realized how his friends obviously already knew everything "when did you find out?!"

"It took a while" Urahara said casually "I just discovered she was with your son a few days ago, he doesn't know who she is, right?"

"Of course not! He's an idiot!" Isshin said panicking "I cannot believe he hasn't connected the dots! Isn't he supposed to be brilliant?!"

Yoruichi laughed hard.

"Go on and don't make my goddaughter wait" she told Isshin "we can arrange our versions once you're free."

Isshin groaned and left the waiting room.

* * *

Rukia was swinging her legs while sitting down on the exam table, since Ichigo's father was not in the room she had time to talk with Ichigo for a while.

"I'm sorry for getting you into trouble" she said while looking at him.

"He took it better than I expected, we were lucky to be able to left aside where you live but we won't be that lucky when he sees your hickey" he said "take off the sweater, it'll get in the way of the stethoscope."

Rukia took off the sweater and handed it over to Ichigo.

"He's really nice, by the way" she said "no wonder he has his own hospital, he looks really dedicated to his patients."

Ichigo smirked.

"He's crazy as hell" he said "but he's an amazing doctor, I wouldn't have brought you if that wasn't the case."

"What are we going to tell him about the hickey?" she asked nervously.

"There's no need to explain" Ichigo said "just let him beat the shit out of me when he finds out."

Rukia chuckled.

"Okay" Isshin said while stepping into the room with while pushing a cart "sorry for making you wait."

Rukia noticed the cart apprehensively. She noticed the blood pressure device, the tongue depressors, the thermometer and the needles, she gulped. She was more than used to go to the Doctor but she never got used to the needles, someone would've to keep her in place so she wouldn't bolt out of the room every single time, and the only one who was able to calm her down during those times was her granddaddy.

"Midget" Ichigo said worriedly "you paled even more in a matter of seconds."

"I'm fine" she said defensively without taking her eyes off the needles.

Ichigo snorted.

"Sure, you are" he said sarcastically "you should leave the needles for last, old man. She's about to run away from the room."

Isshin shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Rukia-chan" he said kindly "but we're going to take a blood test."

She nodded, she was aware of the procedures.

"May I start with everything else first?" Isshin asked as he approached her.

Rukia nodded, her palms were already sweating due to the nervousness.

"Great" Isshin said calmly while taking his stethoscope "just take a deep…"

Isshin stopped as he noticed her now exposed neck. She had taken off the sweater and he could see clearly a, recently done, hickey. His eyes widened as Rukia blushed and Ichigo looked at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing around the room, both teenagers were obviously pretty nervous and he didn't know how to interpret the whole thing.

"I thought you told me Grimmjow didn't do anything to you" Isshin said worriedly.

Rukia cleared her throat while trying to figure out what to say.

"Ehm… Grimmjow didn't do this to me" she said "just ignore it, it's not a big deal."

"If you're sexually active you may have to take another tests" Isshin said bluntly "do you want me to call a female Doctor? I won't feel offended, it's for your own comfort."

"I'm not sexually active" Rukia said blushing "I mean, I just recently escaped a convent. Seriously, this was just something that happened."

"Was it done with consent?" Isshin asked frowning.

"Yes!" Rukia said smiling "you don't need to worry."

"But…" Isshin insisted.

"It was me" Ichigo said finally fed up with the awkward interchange.

Isshin gaped and looked at Ichigo. Great, not only he was suspecting that these two lived together now he was certain that they were sharing some heated moments together, why? Didn't they meet each other just a few days ago? Wasn't this girl living with a bunch of girls and nuns? Was Ichigo taking advantage of her or was she trying to discover this side of the teenage life while using his son? Both possibilities sounded horrible for Isshin, but if his son was somehow using Rukia he would send him to military school.

Ichigo blinked.

"Aren't you going to beat the shit out of me?" he asked confused after a few seconds of silence.

"No" Isshin said finally while getting back to pay attention to Rukia "I'm going to take a blood test of you too."

Ichigo paled and Rukia laughed.

The rest of the appointment went on without complications, Isshin took her blood pressure, her temperature and everything that was necessary for a general diagnosis. By the time the needles were required Ichigo took a seat next to Rukia and held her hand while Isshin took the blood sample, just as he said he would he labeled the sample as "Kurosaki R." He knew it would bring some unpleasant gossip between the nurses but he could handle that.

The only thing that worried him was that he noticed certain things about her body that didn't settle well with him.

He had been Hisana-san's doctor and while Byakuya's wife have had a fragile constitution it didn't worry him but that wasn't the case with Rukia. She was too short and skinny for her age and, while he didn't ask her to put on a patient gown, he was willing to bet that there was more than one bruise under her clothes. Whenever he would use the stethoscope she would get tense and she recoiled a little, almost discreetly, whenever his hands were to come in contact with her skin.

He tried to be as kind as possible but even then she would get tense, he couldn't ignore this.

The fact that she wasn't hurt when Ichigo hit her with Byakuya's car was a miracle but Ichigo also mentioned how she didn't complain about any pain or bruises after that and that was impossible, unless the girl was used to some sort of abuse. Isshin frowned, it made sense and it would be a valid reason to escape the convent. Isshin noticed how respectful she was towards him but she was also really wary, could it be a defense mechanism?

"Well" he said while smiling at her "we're almost done now all I want to do is to check your weight, is that okay with you?"

Rukia nodded and Ichigo helped her to get down of the examination table, she removed her shoes as she stepped on the scale.

Isshin made sure the scale was calibrated as Rukia faced the beam in order to follow the usual procedure. Isshin took her weight twice to make sure that he wasn't mistaken and once he was done he frowned at the result.

"Is everything okay?" Ichigo asked while looking at his father's serious expression.

"Rukia-chan" Isshin said while ignoring his son "you've been out of the convent just for a few days, but did you have a balanced diet while you were there?"

Rukia frowned.

"Well, not exactly" she said pensively "the nuns wouldn't let us starve but I had a few problems with some of the girls inside there so the usual punishment is to skip a meal."

"I take it that you were the one who would get that punishment the most?"

Rukia shrugged sadly.

"I was the only one who would get that punishment" she explained "the girls were quite dedicated to get me in trouble, why?"

Isshin clicked his tongue.

"Your weight is not ideal for your age" he said worriedly.

"Is she malnourished?" Ichigo asked frowning.

Isshin helped Rukia to get down the scale and she took a seat on the exam table again.

Rukia observed as Isshin took a notepad.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions, okay?" he said "just answer yes or no, please."

Rukia nodded.

"Have you unintentionally lost a lot of weight over the last three to six months?" Isshin asked.

"Yes" Rukia said without hesitation.

Isshin scribbled something on the notepad.

"Do you have a lack of interested in eating and drinking?" Isshin asked.

"No" Rukia said "I mean I'm not hungry today but this only happens to me after a crisis."

Isshin nodded, Ichigo noticed how he relaxed a little.

"Do you feel tired all the time?" he asked.

Rukia frowned as she seemed to think a little.

"Yes," she said finally "I'm always looking forward to sleep and it's quite hard to wake me up."

Ichigo nodded, that was true. She was a heavy sleeper and she would always fall asleep before him, he hadn't stopped to think about it.

"Do you feel weak often?"

"Yes"

"I already know the answer to this but I'm still going to ask" he said "do you get ill often and take a long time to recover?"

"Yes" Rukia said finally.

Isshin sighed heavily. The tests were done and the only thing left to do was to wait for the results, he wanted them as soon as possible so he would tag them as a priority, he just hoped that Rukia wasn't anemic.

"I want you to have a healthier and more balanced diet, Rukia-chan" Isshin said "I'll also give you a list of fortified food that contain extra nutrients. You should have healthy snacks between meals and for now there's nothing wrong with taking drinks with lots of calories."

Rukia smiled.

"Thank you" she said "I'll follow your advice."

Isshin sighed.

"I'm going to ask something" he said carefully "if you don't feel comfortable enough answering it's okay, you don't have to."

Ichigo frowned, his father had probably noticed something that he hadn't.

"Okay" Rukia said apprehensively.

"Did you suffer some kind of physical abuse inside the convent?" Isshin asked and Ichigo looked shocked at Rukia.

Rukia's eyes widened as flashbacks of the basement came back to her. The dark and the smelly place in which she spent so many days as part of the punishment that she earned thanks to the bullies, not to mention the fact that some of the nuns hated her for some reason too. The hair pulling, the fighting, the cold and everything came back to her at once, she braced herself unconsciously as the mean face of the headmistress came to her mind.

"I…" Rukia said "I think I'm going to throw up."

Ichigo was the one who reacted faster. He grabbed the small garbage can, which luckily was empty, and held it in front of her. Rukia threw up violently and she wondered how this was possible even after she barely ate through the whole day, her stomach hurt and she felt like dying of embarrassment when Ichigo's father held her hair carefully so it wouldn't get in the way of the disgusting stomach fluid.

"I'm sorry" she said once she was done and Ichigo passed her the box of tissues.

"No need to apologize, midget" he said kindly and then looked at his father "I guess that that answers your question."

Isshin nodded.

Now he understood why the girl was hiding from Byakuya, he probably didn't know about whatever happened inside the convent, considering how he didn't visit her for a whole year. This wasn't just a rebellious act, Rukia was completely frightened about going back and he couldn't blame her. Judging by Ichigo's face he didn't know about the abuse either.

Isshin decided right there to keep the secret, Byakuya didn't deserve to know where she was after neglecting his only daughter to such degree so Isshin would wait until he was completely sure that his stubborn friend wouldn't send her back, besides he would have to tell him, eventually, about this, the authorities of the convent had to be taken accountable.

Isshin observed how his son kept reassuring Rukia about how everything was okay, it was obvious that they had become close in a small matter of time and he didn't want to set them apart, but if the boy was already comfortable enough to leave hickeys on Rukia's neck he couldn't leave them unsupervised either, so in order to protect Rukia and to prevent his son from taking this friendship to the next level he took a decision.

He would take the girl under his wing, it was the least he could do for now.

"Rukia-chan" Isshin said finally "what I'm about to ask you might seem indecent for a girl like you, but please keep an open mind."

Ichigo frowned.

"She's not going to marry you, pervert" he said jokingly to his father "do you want to go to jail?"

Isshin looked at his son with teary eyes.

"I was expecting her to marry you instead, my son!"

Rukia gaped and Ichigo threw the stethoscope at his father who avoided it easily.

"Be serious, damn it!" he said and Isshin laughed.

Rukia laughed too and Ichigo relaxed after seeing her smiling again.

"I won't ask more intrusive questions" Isshin said while looking at Rukia "but I do not feel safe without knowing where you're living, a pretty girl like you without her family's aid might face some difficulties."

"Old man…" Ichigo said but Isshin ignored him as he kneeled in front of Rukia so he could be at her height.

"Would you please come to live with me and my family? At least until you fix the misunderstanding with your family, of course" he said smiling at her "you wouldn't reject me, right? Rukia-chan?"

"_DAD?!"_ Ichigo asked shocked.

Rukia stared at Ginrei with widened eyes wondering what to do, she never expected a simple medical test to end like this.

* * *

**Wow, that took a while. **

**So, I hope no one felt uncomfortable while reading this chapter. I'll explain with more detail in the chapters to come so bear with me. Also, before thanking everyone here I want to do a shameless promotion! If you want you can read my new collection of one-shots called "Deathberry in quarantine" which is on my profile! **

**Now, to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter:**

**Girrr: Oh my God, thank you so much for all of your reviews, I cannot believe you took the time to review every single chapter, that means a lot to me! Seriously! I hope you liked this chapter and I'll be waiting for your review, take care!**

**Jobananasan: You know when you wrote: **_**It's not like Ichigo was being gay by himself. *rolls eyes again* **_**I loved it! You made me laugh! And yes, Rukia was in the convent since she was twelve. Thank you so much for your reviews, I love every single one of them you really take your time reading the chapter and that means a lot to me! Let me know what you think about this one, okay? I'll be waiting anxiously for your review, thanks again! Kisses! **

**Achalida: Thank you for your review! I really enjoyed writing the hickey scene and I'm glad you liked it! Let me know if you also liked this chapter, take care! **

**Nejes: Hopefully you liked Isshin's reaction! Let me know, okay?! Thank you so much for your review, seriously! Take care!**

**Ichirukitrash4ever: Thank you so much for your review, I already planned how Byakuya and the rest of the Kuchikis are going to find out but it's going to take a while! I'm so glad you liked the hickey scene, really! I'm planning more scenes like that for the chapters to come! Did you like this chapter? Let me know, okay? Thanks again for your review! Kisses! **

**Natsumivat: Es un honor para mí que leas esto a pesar de estar cansada del trabajo, muchas gracias. Espero que te haya gustado mucho la escena de la reacción de Isshin, me encanta que te haya gustado la escena del chupón, planeo muchas escenas subidas de tono, lo prometo jajajaja. El siguiente cap va a ser un poco más light pero esperemos que también te guste, déjame saber que te parece esto, cuídate mucho y besos para ti. **

**RukiYuki: Thank you so much for your review! Isshin finally met his third daughter, what do you think about the chapter? Let me know, kisses and thanks again!**

**kleinegirl87: ¡Gracias por tu review! No planeo una relación de tres pero si un tanto de drama jajaja. Déjame saber si te gusto este cap, gracias nuevamente, cuídate. **

** : Your review made me smile A LOT! Well, yeah, I've been playing with the idea of writing a book so we'll see. Thank you so much for your review and for saying that I have an inventive mind, you flatter me. Let me know if you liked this chapter, kisses! **

**FafaCute: Thank you so much for your review! Don't worry, Ginrei will be more at ease in the chapters to come! More things like the hickey are coming! Thanks again, let me know if you liked this chapter, kisses! **

**Vick Greystark: Don't worry, the future is Ichiruki (with some Grimmruki scenes of course) thank you so much for your review! I'm so glad you like this story! Let me know if you enjoyed this chapter too, okay?! Take care and kisses! **

**uchihaNaruto247: Thank you so much for your review! As you guessed Isshin won't spill the beans! Let me know if you liked this chapter, I'll be waiting for your review! Take care and kisses! **

**If I didn't mention you let me know so I can thank you properly, okay? **

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


	12. Chapter 12

**I have a few things to say before you start reading, bear with me please.**

**\- GUYS! I'm so sorry, there's a typo on the last chapter, on the last line specifically. I wrote Ginrei's name instead of Isshin's. I'M TRULY SORRY, so in case you were confused I'll correct it soon. **

**\- On to the next thing, do you guys remember Loly and Menoly? The girls who beat Orihime in Hueco Mundo? Well, they make their first appearance in this chapter so I'm just letting you know in case you don't remember who they are (it took me a while to remember their names, honestly)**

**And finally a warning.**

**\- Physical abuse is discussed here, lightly but is still abuse, so read with care.**

**Happy reading! **

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Rukia observed the landscape from the last floor of the hospital and sighed heavily. Ichigo's father told them to wait for him on the balcony while he send Rukia's tests towards the respective area, she blushed at imagining how the nurses or the others doctors would react after seeing the Kurosaki last name on them but she brushed the thought aside quickly, she wouldn't see their reactions so there was no need to worry about that.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ichigo, who was standing next to her, asked her.

Rukia shrugged, she was still feeling quite embarrassed for throwing up in front of him and his father, luckily she was able to brush her teeth on the bathroom after that. She never expected the question and she never expected to react like that. She felt stupid, she was already outside the convent there was no need to feel scared anymore.

"Come on" Ichigo said while nudging her "are you feeling angry over the fact that my old man wants to live with you? I mean, he already lives with you he just doesn't know."

Rukia chuckled.

"I'm not angry, idiot" she said while crossing her arms "I'm just… embarrassed, I think. I threw up in your father's trash can."

Ichigo smirked.

"Midget" he said amused "he's a doctor, he has seen way worst things than that."

Rukia looked at him and frowned.

"Aren't you mad at me?" she asked "I mean, look at the messy situation you're in because of me!"

Ichigo frowned.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused "what messy situation? I thought we agreed I would help you, why should I be mad at you?"

Rukia looked aside.

"You've done so much for me" she muttered "and now I might even invade your family routine, isn't that too much? How are your sisters going to feel when they find out a total stranger is going to live under the same roof as hers?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"First of all my sisters already like you" he said "and they already live under the same roof as you, why are you overthinking this?"

Rukia pouted.

"I won't accept" she said stubbornly "your father told me to think about it but I cannot accept."

Ichigo scoffed.

"Why not?" he asked angrily "Rukia this is for your own benefit, you will have a decent bed instead of my small closet, you won't have to use the bathroom at unholy hours so they won't catch you and my sisters will finally have another female around the house. What's wrong with that?"

Rukia looked at him again angrily.

"I have no money, Ichigo!" she said while clenching her fists "I'll eat your family's food and invade their personal space without paying anything, it feels as if I'm taking advantage of you father's generosity!"

Ichigo grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Money is not a fucking problem" he said while looking straight at her eyes "why are you being so unreasonable? Kaien and Renji go to my house and eat all the fucking food every damn week, they don't even care!"

"One of them is your cousin and the other one has been your friend for years!" Rukia said sadly "I'm basically a stranger! What if your sisters don't like me? What if the neighbors start gossiping? Do you realize how much I am going to affect your life this way?!"

"It's quite late to think about it, idiot!" Ichigo said, their conversation was getting louder "I knew this was going to be quite difficult the moment I hit you with the car, but we've managed well! Now we have my father's help, shit is actually getting easier! Why are you being stubborn now?!"

"I don't want to be a burden for you!" Rukia yelled finally and Ichigo gaped after seeing her so upset "I assumed that as long as I could keep living in your room nothing would get out of hand, I still have some money and Ukitake-san is helping me with school stuff but this is too much… perhaps if I get a part-time job I can…"

"That's out of the question" Ichigo said crossly "you don't need a job, what the fuck? You should be focusing on recovering and studying, nothing more."

Rukia glared at him.

"Stop ordering me around" she said "I might get sick easily but I'm stronger than this."

"You think I don't know that?" he asked dumbfounded "midget, you literally managed to escape, you kicked my ass the first time we talked and you enrolled at one of the best schools, all of that on your own. I already know how fucking badass you are."

"But…" Rukia tried to say but Ichigo wasn't giving her a chance.

"But I want to help you" Ichigo said finally "stop questioning why or any other shit like that, we're friends. You helped my sisters, my father loved you on sight and thanks to you I finally talked with Grimmjow so we can fix our shitty past. As far as I'm concerned we've been helping each other for the small time we've been together."

Rukia blushed slightly and braced herself.

"Fine" she said, she couldn't find any objection to that "but I'm not accepting your father's offer unless you talk with your sisters first, I won't live there unless both, Karin and Yuzu, are okay with that."

Ichigo smirked.

"Deal" he said cockily.

Rukia sighed and looked at Karakura again, she didn't want to think about the fluttering feeling on her stomach, at least not for now.

* * *

When Yoruichi stepped into the balcony, after eavesdropping the whole conversation, she noticed how close Ichigo and Rukia were standing. Apparently these two had been through a lot in a matter of days, she was really glad that Rukia had found Ichigo. If it had been anybody else she would have fought with tooth and nails to get a hold of the girl and take her under her wing, although considering the whole picture that wouldn't be nice, it was highly likely that the Kuchikis were already monitoring her store, she was safer with the Kurosakis for now.

Ichigo was the first one to notice her.

"Yoruichi" he said smiling at her and she smirked at him.

Rukia turned around next and her eyes widened at seeing her.

"Oh, hello" Rukia said politely.

"You remember me" Yoruichi said while standing in front the teenagers "it's been a while, what are you doing here?"

Ichigo looked at Yoruichi and then at Rukia.

"You know each other?" he asked and Rukia chuckled at his confused face.

"Not exactly" Yoruichi said "but this pretty girl went to my store last weekend, I wondered if I would be able to see you again."

Rukia smiled at her and Yoruichi tried not to think about Hisana, it wasn't the time to get all melancholic.

"We just came for a check-up" she explained "we were about to leave."

Yoruichi nodded.

"It's good to see teenagers worried about their health" she said jokingly and then looked at Ichigo "you'll be coming the next weekend, right?"

Ichigo groaned.

"Oh, come on!" he said annoyed "I've been busy with work and I have homework and…"

"You can do the homework there, stop complaining" Yoruichi said smiling "I keep telling you to relax a little, damn."

"I relax quite often" Ichigo excused himself.

"Perhaps" Yoruichi said with her eyes glinting while looking at Rukia "you should bring a friend with you, do you have plans for the next weekend, Rukia?"

Yoruichi noticed how Rukia blinked several times.

"Not really" she said finally "but I don't understand, what are you talking about?"

Ichigo scoffed.

"She's my godmother" he explained while pointing at Yoruichi and Rukia's eyes widened "one of my father's best friends, so every once in a while they invite the whole family to their house in the countryside. Apparently my old man is going this weekend too."

"They?" Rukia asked.

"My husband is a close friend of this idiot's father too" Yoruichi explained "why don't you come too? Perhaps with a friend by his side Ichigo won't be sulking the whole time."

"I wouldn't like to impose" Rukia said apologetic "I mean…"

Yoruichi waved a hand dismissively.

"Don't be silly!" she said "you told me you were new in town, you'll love the countryside!"

Ichigo put his hands on his pockets.

"Well, perhaps if the midget is there I won't die of boredom" he said while looking at her "have you ever been in the countryside?"

_Just once, when she was a baby_ Yoruichi thought.

"Not that I remember" Rukia said and then looked smiling at Yoruichi "is really okay? Really?"

Yoruichi nodded.

"Then I'll go" Rukia said blushing slightly "I've always wanted to go outside the busy city!"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head awkwardly, he was glad that Rukia was smiling again.

"Yeah" he muttered sarcastically "who doesn't love the mosquitos and the heat? Amazing."

Rukia punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Don't be a party pooper!" Rukia said.

Yoruichi laughed, she would be able to talk with Rukia during the weekend.

* * *

Once Rukia explained to Isshin that she wouldn't accept his offer unless the twins were okay with it they said goodbye and Ichigo left the hospital along with her. Isshin sighed as he took a seat on his desk, he couldn't believe that his son was helping Kuchiki Rukia of all people. The fact that he managed to keep all of this a secret was also quite surprising, he had been so busy with work that he had forgotten to keep an eye on his children, perhaps the weekend in the countryside would be beneficial for all of them.

"If you keep overthinking you might get a headache" Urahara said while stepping into his office without knocking "I guess that the girl was an interesting patient."

Isshin ran a hand through his hair.

"Do you know what happened to her in the convent?" he asked.

"I managed to get all of the information from a reliable source" Urahara said nodding "did she tell you anything?"

Isshin shook his head.

"She's malnourished" he said "they forbade her to eat as punishment, I cannot even begin to explain how enraged I am right now."

Urahara sighed.

"That's the tip of the iceberg" he said sadly "when Yoruichi heard everything I had to stop her from going there and destroy the whole place, it is infuriating indeed."

Isshin looked at the mad hatter in front of him and crossed his arms.

"Are you going to give me the details?" he asked seriously "because I feel like I need to know, I asked her to live with my family."

Urahara smiled.

"Did she accept?" he asked curiously.

Isshin shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure she will" he said confidently "so? How come Kuchiki Byakuya didn't notice something was wrong with his only daughter? I don't even understand why he left her there."

"There was no abuse the first two years" Urahara explained "the Kuchikis would visit often, they would give her presents and ask all about her, so no one dared to touch her then."

Isshin frowned.

"What changed?" he asked.

"Well, the visits stopped on the third year" Urahara explained "they also stopped answering her letters so when the people in the convent realized this, everything went from bad to worst. They resented her because she was rich and she didn't want to be there, most girls were jealous of the gifts she would receive and, while this is one of Yoruichi's assumptions, they were also jealous of how pretty she is."

"Typical girl stuff" Isshin said "but on a different level."

"Exactly" Urahara said "they would play pranks on her and the nuns would get mad at her, I checked her records and things like "troublemaker", "loud and disrespectful", "disrupts the group's dynamics" are written there. Most of the claims are false, of course."

"That's when she started to skip meals" Isshin said "against her will."

"Unfortunately you're right" Urahara said "it wasn't until the nuns were so tired of the same behavior that the punishments became severe, in fact I'm surprised the girl managed to endure it for a whole year."

Isshin tensed, he didn't want to hear it but he needed to know. With all of that information he would be able to determine whether she needed another treatment or what to expect with her under his roof.

"The girls would share a big room with several bunk beds, since they didn't like Rukia they would create a ruckus and once one of the nuns would arrive at the room they would all blame the Kuchiki heiress for the commotion" Urahara said "they would make her spent the whole night kneeling in the hallway while holding a stack of heavy books."(*)

Isshin gaped.

"Uh?"

"Other nights, when the nuns didn't want to deal with her they would take her towards the basement" Urahara continued "let's just say that the basement is not the most… clean space inside the whole convent. It's moldy, cold and you might find one or two rats down there, cockroaches too."

"She would spend the whole night in there? Like a prisoner?" Isshin asked aghast.

Urahara shook his head.

"Oh please," he said frowning "prisoners are treated better than that in jail, if I would have to compare I would say that she was receiving the same treatment that slaves would receive in the last century."

Isshin clicked his tongue, he was getting angrier.

"Would they hit her?"

Urahara blinked, he didn't want to tell him.

"Why do you ask?" Urahara questioned carefully.

"She recoiled from my touch, I tried to be as nice as I could and I didn't hurt her" he said "but she kept recoiling every single time my hands would come in contact with her skin."

Urahara sighed, as expected of a doctor. He wouldn't be able to lie to him.

"Sometimes" Urahara admitted "the headmistress would slap her if she refused to pray or to stay in line, the other nuns would use other kind of stuff."

Isshin gulped.

"You know, stuff like rulers. Although they preferred hair her pulling or use their own nails to hurt her" Urahara said "I don't know how she managed to stand that treatment on a daily basis."

"Would no one helped her?" Isshin asked "were all of the nuns involved?"

Urahara shook his head,

"Only the headmistress and her three most trusted nuns" he said "unfortunately these were the same people that would rule the whole place so there was no use in looking for help, they wouldn't stop the other girls either" he sighed "although they were careful, they made enough physical damage to control her but not to mark her."

Isshin took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"How did she escape?" he asked "she's the Kuchiki heiress, they probably had lots of eyes on her."

Urahara chuckled for the first time of the conversation.

"You'll have to ask her that yourself" he said amused "not even I've been able to discover how she did it, no one in the convent knows anything and she left no traces, she's a smart one."

Isshin smiled.

"She's a Kuchiki after all" he said.

"Are you going to inform her father? For what I've seen the Kuchikis are worried sick, she contacted them and informed them that she didn't want to be part of the clan anymore. The only reason the police isn't raiding every house in Karakura is because they don't want to make it public."

Isshin scoffed.

"Byakuya deserves to be punched in the face" he said without reservations "if he finds out what she had to endure, well… there's no telling what he might do" he sighed "I won't tell any of them, I want her to be able to enjoy a normal life for a change. Besides, something's telling me that Ichigo is not leaving her side anytime soon."

Urahara laughed.

"Your son is putting you in quite the situation" he said smiling "aren't you glad? You've been begging him to bring a girl home for a while!"

Isshin groaned.

"I never expected him to introduce me to Kuchiki Rukia of all people! Damn!"

"Well, if your son survives the Kuchiki's wrath he might pocket for himself the wealthiest and prettiest young girl around the city" Urahara reasoned proudly "Yoruichi invited her to our countryside house, by the way."

Isshin sighed.

"Kuchiki Rukia came to stay" he said smiling and then hid his face on his hands "Byakuya is going to beat the shit out of me when he finds out."

Urahara laughed, he couldn't wait to see the whole thing unfold.

* * *

After arriving at the house Ichigo sent Rukia towards their room and prepared food for both of them, the twins were going to eat at a friend's house due to a school project, so he didn't have to worry about them asking why he was cooking two portions of everything. Once he was done he took a tray upstairs and found Rukia already doing homework on his desk.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Ichigo asked her while putting the tray on the desk next to her work "you must be tired."

"I can do homework perfectly fine" she said stubbornly "stop being a worrywart."

Ichigo shrugged.

"Why don't you eat first?" he asked "you're not hungry but I cooked so I would feel offended if you were to reject me."

Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Fine" she said "let's see how much of a cook you are."

Rukia found herself enjoying the food and Ichigo told her lots of things while they were both sharing the meal. He told her about the time when a wild squirrel attacked Renji at the park and about the time he finally bought his motorcycle. Rukia laughed on several occasions and, while deep down she knew he was doing his best to distract her, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. The flashbacks she had back at the hospital were not going away.

Once they were both full and their homework was done they noticed it was night already. Ichigo stayed awake a while longer, he had work to do for his boss, while Rukia said goodnight and got inside the closet.

Ichigo went to bed at midnight and he knew she wasn't asleep, he could hear her tossing and turning and he wondered if he had pushed too far by taking her with his father. The check-up went quite well somehow, it was necessary after all, although he never expected his dad to ask her so bluntly about abuse, it never crossed Ichigo's mind. He knew she didn't talk about the convent for a series of reasons, bullying being one of them, but physical abuse? He wondered what happened to her. Sighing heavily he closed his eyes and covered himself with his bed sheet.

He wanted to know but he wasn't going to pry, he wasn't a certified doctor like his father so he could only hope that she would talk to him whenever she was ready.

Trying to think about ways to cheer her up he fell asleep.

He didn't know how much time passed, all he knew was that something woke him up. His first thought was that perhaps his father had gone crazy and decided to attack him in the middle of night so when he fell something on his side he reacted quickly and put himself on top of the intruder.

His eyes widened when he came face to face with Rukia.

"Midget" he whispered "you scared the shit out of me!"

Rukia huffed while blushing slightly.

"You scared me, carrot top!" she said "I thought you were asleep."

Ichigo sighed. He noticed how she looked wide awake, he probably waited for him to fall asleep so she could crawl into bed, it didn't matter, he wasn't going to judge her for not wanting to sleep alone inside the closet. Besides, what kind of healthy hormonal teenager would complain about having a pretty girl on his bed?

"Is everything okay?" he asked her finally, they were both going to have terrible bags under their eyes tomorrow.

She nodded.

"I just… wanted to sleep here" she said while avoiding his gaze.

"Fine" Ichigo said and lay down on top of her while resting his head on her chest.

Her heart was beating frantically and he assumed that she was blushing like mad, he wondered with hidden amusement how much she would handle before kicking him out of bed. Much to his surprise, after a few seconds she sighed and started to play with his hair, her heart was getting back to its normal rhythm.

"Is this okay?" Ichigo asked.

She nodded.

"Yeah," she said calmly "completely okay."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ichigo asked carefully, he was falling asleep again while feeling her delicate hands caressing his orange hair.

"No" Rukia said "I feel better now and they cannot hurt me anymore."

Ichigo's eyes were closing against his will. Rukia's voice was soothing and her hands felt marvelous.

"No one will ever hurt you anymore, midget" Ichigo said as his eyes closed, he let himself enjoy her closeness, her nice smell and her soft body under his. He realized he meant those words, he didn't want anyone to hurt her, he didn't want her father to find her and he didn't want to imagine her back at the convent.

_She's here_ Ichigo thought _her place is here._

"You promise?" Rukia asked softly.

"I promise" he said.

"Thank you, Ichigo" she said "good night."

Ichigo fell asleep before he could wish her good night.

* * *

Isshin sighed heavily, just as he suspected Kuchiki Rukia was living in his son's room. After hearing their midnight conversation he assumed that it was the first time they were together on the same bed and it was quite of reassuring. Still, he hoped that Karin and Yuzu would accept Rukia, he just couldn't imagine having the girl hidden forever in his son's closet. Not to mention that they were getting closer and he needed to make sure that they wouldn't fuck up everything by developing feelings too soon.

He wasn't going to prevent them for being friends or even a couple, but adult supervision was necessary.

As quietly as he could he went back to his room.

_You're going to lose your shit when you find out her last name, son_ Isshin thought.

* * *

The next morning Ichigo found himself enjoying his bed more than usual. He wondered if his pillow had always felt so damn comfortable, it was soft and it smelled wonderful, although it felt smaller. He sighed contempt and decided that it was still early so he could enjoy a few more minutes like this, he tried to remember the last time he slept so damn well, he was never going to change this pillow. Where did he buy it? Or did his father buy it?

He was about to hug the pillow tighter until a little and feminine yawn brought him back to reality.

He tensed immediately when he noticed how he had slept the whole night on top of Rukia, the reason his pillow was smaller and smelled heavenly was because his head was resting on Rukia's small, soft chest. Ichigo also noticed how their legs were intertwined. Flashbacks from last night came back to him like a truck and he wanted to punch himself, how come he didn't remember sooner?

"Are you awake?" Rukia asked groggily.

Ichigo sighed.

"Yeah" he said with a hoarse voice "what time is it?"

"Almost six" Rukia answered "I should go shower, otherwise we'll be late."

Ichigo used his arms to support himself and to look at Rukia's face, he was about to ask her why she was so at ease while sleeping next to a male for the first time in her whole life when she saw her face, she was blushing like mad and avoiding his eyes.

"So" Ichigo said while casually smirking at her "is sleeping with a male with whom you are not married a sin? Am I going to face divine retribution for this?"

Rukia couldn't take it any longer so she lifted her knee and successfully knocked the air out of him.

"What was that for, idiot?" Ichigo asked breathlessly while rolling off bed and falling unceremoniously on his floor.

"That was for stealing ten percent of my virginity last night" she said while standing up and pointing at him accusingly "if you add the hickey it's basically a twenty percent!"

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"What the fuck did I do last night?" he asked aghast "I didn't touch you!"

Rukia grabbed the pillow and threw it at his face.

"Great" she said while stomping towards the closet, the blush wasn't leaving her face "you don't even remember squeezing my boob! Now I have to go to the nearest confessionary!"

Ichigo gaped as Rukia grabbed her toiletries and left the room.

_Amazing_ he thought sarcastically _I lived one of the best moments of my life last night and I don't remember._

His day was barely starting.

* * *

Grimmjow looked at himself in the mirror and winced.

The Seireitei High School uniform wasn't that cool but he supposed that it was better than his last uniform. He wondered if anyone would give him troubles on the first day, would anyone talk to him? Being the new kid was always fucking hard and pathetic. Sighing he decided that this was too much for him, but he could hear his mother laughing in the kitchen and if even his parents could leave their past aside then he could do it too.

He could start over and it didn't matter if Kurosaki Ichigo was there because he was part of his past too and he was going to stay there.

* * *

"The sweater, again?" Riruka asked as Rukia took a seat next to her.

"The hickey is not going away" Rukia excused herself blushing "stop judging me."

Riruka rolled her eyes.

"Well, fine I won't ask more questions" she said "in fact I was going to suggest you to do something else."

Rukia blinked.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"I think that you should create your social media profiles" Riruka said "we should start with twitter, that way you'll be informed about everything that's being said there, what do you think?"

Rukia smiled as she took out her cellphone, there was enough time to create a twitter before the first class.

"I also want an Instagram account" Rukia said.

"Baby steps, loser" Riruka said "we'll try twitter and wait a week, if during that week no one of the Kuchiki clan finds you there, we'll create Instagram."

Rukia nodded.

"Fine" she said "although I doubt daddy would try to look for me on the internet."

"There's only one way to know" Riruka said as Rukia created her profile.

* * *

Grimmjow followed the Principal as he showed him the school grounds. The white haired man seemed to be really kind and didn't look at him with fear after seeing his blue hair, it was a relief. Grimmjow noticed how big the school was, the gym and the soccer field were amazing, the classrooms were big and some had air conditioner, none of that could be found on his last school.

"I hope you find some reliable friends here" Ukitake said with a smile "most of the students are really nice, perhaps a little bit competitive, but healthy male bonds are created through rivalry."

Grimmjow nodded, he didn't have any idea what that meant but he knew better than to disrespect the authorities. Besides, he liked competitions, he wanted to be able to join the soccer team soon and to go to physical education class. He really wanted to enjoy his time here no matter what.

"Now, this'll be your classroom" Ukitake said kindly "let's introduce you."

Grimmjow gulped as the Principal knocked on the door.

Perhaps luck or God could be on his side and he wouldn't be on the same classroom as Ichigo, right?

* * *

When Kyoraku was called to the hallway Ichigo tensed. He didn't remember when exactly Grimmjow was going to come to school but it couldn't be so soon, right? And even if he was already at school the chances that they would end in the same class were not that high, right? As far as Ichigo was concerned the only new student his class needed was Rukia so if there was another they would send him to other class, right?

Perhaps luck or God could be on his side and he wouldn't be on the same classroom as Grimmjow, right?

"Now, dear students" Kyoraku said while stepping back into the classroom with a huge smile "we have a new student with us, play nicely, okay?"

_God is punishing me for giving the novice a hickey_ both, Grimmjow and Ichigo, thought at the same time as they saw each other.

"His name is Grimmjow" Kyoraku said as murmurs exploded around the classroom "let's see where you can have a seat."

Rukia tensed as she observed how Ichigo decided to focus on the ceiling. Ishida, Chad, Renji, Ikkaku and Yumichika looked at Ichigo, each boy with different expressions and she wondered why, according to what Ichigo told her only Renji knew about his past relationship with him. Rukia also noticed how Ashido smirked as if Grimmjow's arrival was magnificent news, perhaps Grimmjow hadn't talked to him about the deal yet.

"Oh, things are really getting interesting this year" Riruka said while sighing "are you going to be okay with Mister Muscles in the same class as you?"

Rukia shrugged while blushing slightly.

"Sure" she said while looking at Riruka "he's going to keep his distance, I don't need to worry."

"If he gets too close we kick his ass" Riruka said angrily "boys who use girls to piss off other boys are nothing but trouble."

Rukia nodded, since she had to explain to Riruka the whole hickey business she told her that Grimmjow, while trying to call Ichigo's attention, had used her. Rukia obviously didn't reveal that those two had been in a relationship in the past, she simply told her that they had some misunderstandings and, since Ichigo had quite the reputation, she believed her immediately. Rukia didn't lie, she just didn't tell her all the details, so she didn't feel bad about it.

"Oh" Kyoraku said "there's a place next to Ulquiorra, go ahead."

Grimmjow nodded as he walked towards the designated place.

"Are you okay?" Renji asked Ichigo.

He nodded.

"As long as he keeps his part of the deal everything will be okay" Ichigo assured him "I won't even look at him."

Renji somehow doubted that those two would be able to ignore each other but he left it aside, he would be always there to have Ichigo's back.

"Is Grimmjow the reason why you look like you couldn't sleep last night?" Renji asked him and Ichigo huffed.

"I slept wonderful, idiot" he said while sighing "so great that I don't remember squeezing Rukia's boobs in my sleep, can you believe that?"

Renji chuckled, no wonder why he looked so pissed he probably was dying to remember that moment.

"So, you're both sharing the bed already? Aren't you going too far?" he asked amused "did you forget she is a novice?"

Ichigo shrugged while running a hand through his messy hair.

"Is not as you believe, and I cannot tell you about her check-up due to the patient's confidentiality, but the old man offered her to live with us."

Renji's eyes widened.

"Your father liked her" he said "he's probably relieved about the fact that you look interested in a girl."

Ichigo chuckled.

"That same girl is the reason why Grimmjow is in this classroom" he said as a matter of fact.

"What do you mean?" Renji asked.

"Well, this is obviously divine retribution" Ichigo reasoned "I, according to her, already stole twenty percent of her virginity so now I have to be on the same class of that fucking asshole to pay for that sin."

Renji nodded.

"It makes sense" he said smiling "you better don't try anything else, what other punishment will God send you if you take things into the next level?"

"I don't even want to imagine" Ichigo said jokingly "besides, is not going to happen. I'm just helping her, remember?"

Renji rolled his eyes, Ichigo was as oblivious as always.

"Whatever you say, dude."

* * *

Byakuya kept looking at the Karakura map that was sprawled all over his desk. They had covered the central area so they knew that Rukia hadn't returned to Yoruichi's store, the mall was also covered so if she wanted to go back to the Chappy store they would be informed immediately. Seireitei High School was out of the question, not only she wasn't there but they didn't see any pink haired girl so there were no suspects either. He had some employees from his security team watching the parks but there were no signs of her.

"Where did you go?" he asked aloud although he knew no one would answer, he was alone inside his office.

When the Chappy store employee told them that she was shopping along with a girl he felt at ease, if a female was with her it meant that she had found a reliable female friend that wouldn't take advantage of her in a sexual way. Unfortunately he couldn't forget how Rukia told them that she was living with a boy. It was confusing and infuriating, time was of essence and nothing was giving the expected results.

Blocking the card wasn't an option, if she were to use it again they would be able to locate her easily. Not to mention that he didn't like the thought of Rukia not having money while trying to find a life on her own, she was a Kuchiki but most important she was his daughter, she didn't deserve to go through life having to ask strangers to buy anything for her or to work at such young age, that was something he wouldn't allow.

"I'll find you" he swore under his breath "I need to see with my own eyes that you're okay."

* * *

Senna frowned as she observed the soccer team playing an amicable match at lunch time, Karin was the captain of the younger girls and it looked as if she was enjoying the game. She wasn't stalking the black haired girl, but Senna's friends liked to have lunch on the bleachers, mostly to see what everyone else was up to and Senna wasn't complaining.

"You won't believe what I heard" Loly said while smirking at Senna. She had long, black hair with two pigtails which reached down her back, a slender build, and her eyes were pink.

"What?" Menoly asked curiously.

Menoly was a girl with tomboyish features. She had short, slicked blonde hair and green eyes.

"Apparently, Kurosaki Ichigo went with a girl to his father's hospital" Loly said smugly as Senna looked at her with widened eyes "they were, according to him, attending personal matters."

"Personal?" Senna asked.

Loly nodded looking really please at having a gossip to share.

"My cousin is an intern there" she explained "she met them at the elevator, the girl was wearing a sweater with Ichigo's name on it."

Senna frowned, she knew who she was talking about.

"Let me guess" Senna said annoyed "the girl is awfully pretty with unique, violet eyes."

Loly nodded surprised.

"How do you know?" she asked "do you know her?"

Senna huffed.

"Not personally" she explained while waving her hand dismissively "she interrupted a conversation I was having with Ichigo's sisters, she's quite annoying, I didn't like her at all."

"Oh," Nel said for the first time of the conversation as the other three girls turned to look at her "then you won't like what I'll tell you."

"What?" Senna asked. Nel, Menoly and Loly were her best friends so they were all aware about Senna's little infatuation with the Kurosaki heir. Although Nelliel was the prettiest, she was a girl with hazel eyes and green hair, she was tall, busty and really popular thanks to her beauty.

"I heard that Yuzu is really happy because her brother is going to introduce the family to a really pretty girl that, according to Yuzu, looks like a Princess" Nel said "they'll have dinner on Friday and even Doctor Kurosaki is looking forward to it."

Senna blushed angrily.

"Looks like a Princess?" she asked offended "as if! I've seen her, she's really skinny and short, I bet her family is poor or something. Perhaps that's why Ichigo lent her his sweater."

"Well" Menoly said smiling "perhaps you finally have some competition, it seems like she's stealing the heart of the whole family, what's this girl's name anyways?"

"Rukia" Senna said as if the name was a blasphemy.

"No last name?" Nel asked curiously.

"She obviously has one" Senna said rolling her eyes "I just don't know which one is it."

Loly smirked.

"Do you want to find out?" she asked mischievously.

Senna smirked back at her.

"I take it that your cousin is curious too," she said "do you think she can get us the information?"

"I can make a call" Loly said "once we have the name we'll just have to look for her in the internet."

Senna clapped once.

"Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Just make sure to give me nice gifts once you have the Kurosaki heir all to yourself."

Senna nodded, she couldn't wait to find out all about the mysterious new girl in Ichigo's life.

* * *

**(*) Have you seen "Anne with an E" on Netflix? Well, the punishment I wrote about is the same Anne had to endure. In case you've seen it you'll know which scene I'm talking about. **

**Guys, thank you so much for your support during this fanfic, I really enjoy writing it. We'll have Yuzu and Karin's answer to Rukia living with them in the next chapter and some high school drama so stay tuned! For those who read my other stories, I'm working on them okay? Bear with me because I'm struggling with some writer's block. **

**WE REACHED THE 100 REVIEWS! THANK YOU SO MUCH! **

**Vick Greystark: Thank you for being my review number 100! I promise you better Grimmjow's scenes in the next chapter, okay? Thank you for your support and I'll be waiting for your review, let me know what you think about this chapter! Kisses! **

**Bleach power: Thank you so much for your review! Oh, I promise you Byakuya will find out about everything, I cannot wait to write about it! Let me know if you liked this chapter, okay? Kisses! **

**Jobananasan: As always I loved your review! It was awesome, I cannot wait for you to read the next chapters, hopefully you'll like them! Oh and don't worry, Ichigo never got involved with nurses, Isshin would've killed him. You just wait until the Kuchikis find out about everything! Thanks for your review, let me know if you liked this chapter, I can't wait to read your opinion! Kisses and take care!**

**uchihaNaruto247: Isshin is truly the best dad, I agree with you! Thank you so much for your review, really! I'm glad you like the story, let me know what you think about this chapter, okay? I hope you liked it! Let me know! Take care!**

**Nejes: We'll find out in the next chapter! Thank you so much for your review, I really appreciate it! Let me know if you liked this chapter, thanks again. Kisses!**

**Haru000: Thank you so much for pointing the typo! I swear I don't know what happened to me, I'm sorry I confused you! Thank you so much for your review, I love how you review every chapter and it means a lot to me! I'll be waiting to read what you think about this chapter, okay? Take care and kisses! **

**RukiYuki: Thank you so much for your review! I'm happy that you liked the last chapter, I hope you liked this one too! Let me know, okay? Kisses!**

**Ichirukitrash4ever: Thank you so much for your review! Don't worry, everyone will be held accountable, every single one. We'll be seeing the little excursion soon, I promise! Oh and don't worry, I'm working on my other stories too! Hopefully I'll be able to update them soon! Thank you for the support always, I'll be waiting to read your opinion on this chapter, kisses! Thanks again for your review!**

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi! As always there are a few warnings before this chapter:**

**\- I know absolutely nothing about sports, and English is not my mother tongue, so in case I made a mistake in the gym class scene I apologize. **

**\- Do you remember Sung-sun? She was one of the girls who in the winter war arc controlled a chimera along with other two girls. Well, she appears in this chapter so I'm letting you know in case you don't remember her.  
**

**That's all for today, happy reading! **

**Chapter 13**

* * *

When the bell ran Grimmjow stood up as fast as he could. According to his schedule they were now going to gym class, which was fine by him, but judging by Ashido's face he really wanted to talk to him because he hadn't stopped watching him the whole damn class. Grimmjow groaned inwardly, hadn't the asshole received the message? If Kurosaki were to see him talking to him the deal would be useless! Perhaps God really wanted to make him pay for sexually harassing a novice.

_On my defense, God_ Grimmjow thought angrily _I didn't know she was a novice._

Sighing heavily Grimmjow left the classroom and walked towards the bathroom, he knew Ashido would follow him, he only prayed that Kurosaki wouldn't notice.

* * *

Senna, Nel, Loly and Menoly stepped into the bathroom. Loly took out her cellphone and smirked at her friends smugly, as Menoly made sure that there was no one else inside that could eavesdrop their conversation.

"I explained everything to my cousin towards text message" Loly said and the smirk never left her face "she told me to call her in…" she checked her wristwatch "five minutes."

Senna crossed her arms and smiled.

"We'll find out who the mysterious girl is in a matter of time" she said and then looked at Menoly "do you really think you can find her on social media?"

Menoly nodded, confident.

"I'm friend of a couple of guys from Seireitei High School" she said "we'll start the search through that."

"How come your cousin is so cooperative?" Nel asked curiously "isn't this dangerous for her work? What if someone catch her?"

Loly shrugged.

"Apparently she's curious too" she said "Kurosaki Ichigo had never interfered with his friend's check-ups but for this one he was inside the room with his father and the girl the whole time, not to mention that she's the first girl he takes towards his father personally."

Nel's eyes widened.

"Oh" she said smiling "now I'm curious too, call your cousin."

Loly nodded and dialed the number.

* * *

Sung-Sun was a slender young intern with long, flowing, black hair, long eyelashes, and cute eyes. She had been an intern at the Kurosaki hospital for a few months and was expecting to be officially hired soon. Just as most of the other nurses she was well aware of all the gossip around the hospital and the newest one was about the mysterious girl that was with Kurosaki Ichigo. So when she received her cousin's text message she couldn't contain her curiosity and decided to follow the plan, that's why she was in front of the lab in which the blood samples were under storage.

Sung-sun stepped into the lab with a satisfied smile. When she saw Kurosaki Ichigo alongside a pretty girl she couldn't help but wonder what their relationship was, not every single patient was lucky enough to go straight to the owner's office, not to mention that apparently, after the check-up was over, Kurosaki Isshin took the blood tests personally towards the lab. She didn't know if the results were ready but it was worth a shot.

Her cellphone rang and she put it on speaker on one of the tables inside the lab.

"_Dear cousin!"_ Loly greeted with a sing song voice.

"Hello, I don't have much time, but I'm here" Sung-sun said while looking at the blood samples before her "if it wasn't for the fact that Doctor Kurosaki brought this on his own it would be hard to find, apparently it was labeled as urgent."

"_Oh_" Loly said at the other side of the line _"I wonder why, do you think the girl's pregnant?" _

Sung-sun snorted.

"I doubt it," she said "something tells me that he wouldn't have brought it here if that was the case, the Kurosakis have a couple of private clinics outside the hospital. Perhaps she's sick?"

"_Hopefully"_ Senna said at the other side of the line _"perhaps that's why Ichigo's been really close to her, he probably pities her." _

Sung-sun nodded, she knew who her cousin's friends were so she wasn't surprised at the fact that they were listening to the conversation too.

"That's a possibility, the girl looked extremely pale when I saw her" she said "I'll check whatever the results say."

"_The last name is the most urgent thing"_ Loly said.

"What's her name?" Sung-sun asked.

"_Rukia"_ Senna answered.

"Well, this has to be her" Sung-sun said while grabbing a vial along with the sheet of results next to it "this results are to be delivered directly to Kurosaki Isshin and…"

"_Name, please"_ Loly said a little bit impatient.

Sung-sun placed the results sheet on the table and held the vial, she read the label and her eyes widened.

"Her name's Kurosaki Rukia?!" she screeched surprised and the girls at the other side of the line gasped at the same time.

"_There has to be some sort of mistake!"_ Senna said offended, her voice was rising angrily.

"There's not!" Sung-sun said and scoffed "but she cannot be related to them that little bitch looked unhealthy, thin and…"

"_Ugly as hell!"_ Senna yelled enraged _"why would Kurosaki Isshin lend his last name to a complete stranger?!" _

"It doesn't make sense" Sung-sun agreed "unless she's…"

"Important to me" a deep, male voice said behind Sung-sun and she jumped a little scared. In the midst of her carelessness she dropped the blood vial and it fell on the table and it broke, Rukia's blood spilled ruining completely the results sheet and Sung-sun gulped nervously. Turning around she found herself face to face with an, obviously enraged, Kurosaki Isshin.

"_Hello? Cousin? Did something happen?"_ Loly kept asking on the phone _"Senna is losing her shit over here!"_

Sung-sun didn't dare to move from her spot as Isshin walked towards the table in which her phone was. He picked it up and kept on listening.

"_Sung-sun?"_ the unmistakable voice of Senna said _"are you sure that the skinny bitch's name is Kurosaki Rukia?"_

"I see that talking to your parents about how I didn't want you interfering in my family life was useless, Senna" Isshin said "should I contact them again?"

There was a deafening silence at the other side of the line.

"Senna" Isshin kept saying "stay away from my family, please. I do not wish to make your parents uncomfortable again and, for the record, Rukia is now part of family so stay away from her too."

The line went dead and Isshin sighed heavily as he looked at Sung-sun who hadn't move from her spot. It was more than obvious for Isshin how Rukia's results were now useless, the worst part was the fact that he didn't have the chance to read them.

"Shall we go to my office?" Isshin suggested as he turned around and started to walk.

Sung-sun followed suit.

* * *

Ashido had a sense of déjà vu as Grimmjow pushed him against the bathroom wall. He groaned due to the pain and glared at the blue haired boy with all his might, what was his problem? Last time they talked they were on good terms.

"Didn't you get my message?" Grimmjow asked angrily "as long as I'm here we don't know each other, I don't want anything to do with you!"

Ashido frowned.

"Kurosaki Ichigo broke my phone, idiot!" he explained upset "you wanted information and I gave it to you! What's your problem?!"

Grimmjow shook his head. He couldn't explain to him that he had made a deal with Kurosaki Ichigo, as far as Ashido was concerned Grimmjow and Ichigo were enemies and nothing more so there was no use in getting into details.

"I appreciate it" Grimmjow said finally "but our business relationship ends now, I don't know you and you don't know me. Forget about your work."

Ashido pushed Grimmjow as he remembered how Ichigo told him that he would lose his job, seriously? How come someone like Grimmjow would listen to Ichigo? And why? Now he didn't have a way to make money and, on the other hand, he didn't have Grimmjow's support at school. How did everything go so wrong in a matter of days? All he did was to send a stupid picture of the new girl…

Ashido's eyes widened.

"This has something to do with the new girl, right?" he asked angrily.

Grimmjow tensed.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he asked pretending to be confused.

"Don't play dumb," Ashido said accusingly "our information interchange was working perfectly until she came around, do you know her or something? Did she threaten you? Who the fuck is she anyway?"

"Stay away from her," Grimmjow said menacingly while grabbing Ashido by his shirt "stay away from me and forget about Kurosaki. I'm done talking to you."

Ashido groaned as Grimmjow let go off him before stepping out of the bathroom.

"Hell no" Ashido said angrily "someone will pay for this, I swear."

* * *

"Okay" Rukia said as she put her cellphone on her backpack "my profile is done, I already followed you but why is my profile picture a Chappy picture?"

Riruka rolled her eyes.

"Because you do not have any other picture!" she explained "you can take some decent selfies this weekend, just make sure that the background is not a really known place and you cannot take pictures wearing the uniform otherwise your father will come back here."

Rukia nodded.

"Fine," she said "I guess I'll take some great pictures on the countryside."

"The countryside?" Riruka asked curiously as she approached Rukia to comb her hair "it's a good thing that your hair is long enough for a short ponytail, just make sure it's always covering the hickey."

"Sure, thanks" she said.

"What were you saying about the countryside?" Riruka questioned.

"Oh, I haven't told you" she said smiling "I met Ichigo's godmother at the hospital and she invited me to her house this weekend, Ichigo and his family are going too."

Riruka smiled.

"You're winning over everyone close to him, aren't you?" she asked jokingly "did the twins already agree to live with you?"

Rukia frowned.

"Ichigo said that he would talk to them tonight at dinner" she said "I'm nervous about their answer, what if they don't want to? It'll be awkward for Ichigo."

"I think they'll accept you" Riruka said casually as she finished her job with Rukia's hair "don't worry too much over it, they invited you to dinner this Friday, right? I bet my entire Chappy collection that you'll start living with them on Friday and you'll enjoy the whole family weekend with them."

"I hope you're right" Rukia said.

"I'm always right" Riruka said smugly "now, it's time for class, let's go."

* * *

"Now" Isshin said as he took a seat behind his desk "Sung-sun, when we accepted you as an intern here, you signed a document where it was stipulated that the patient's information was strictly confidential. In that same document you agreed to respect not only the patient's information but also the Doctors and Nurses work, including mine, and Rukia's treatment is my personal responsibility."

Sung-sun gulped, she was sweating nervously from head to toe.

"You violated my patient's information and ruined the results, now I'll have to take other tests" Isshin said "before listing the amount of consequences you'll be facing I must ask, why did you do it? Why did you interfere with my work and why were you informing about this to Senna and your cousin?"

Sung-sun's eyes widened.

"Oh, yes" Isshin said after seeing her surprised face "you were so focused on insulting Rukia that you didn't realize that I was inside the lab with you the whole time, I heard your entire conversation, to say that I'm upset is an understatement."

Sung-sun gulped.

"Well?" Isshin pressed on.

"Doctor Kurosaki" Sung-sun started nervously "I was simply curious, I saw the girl when she came with your son and…"

"Yes," Isshin said crossing his arms "I cannot decide what upsets me more, the fact that you were really comfortable insulting one of my patients, a girl you don't personally know, or the fact that my son's personal life is an object of gossip around here."

Sung-sun braced herself.

"It won't happen again, Sir!" she said desperately "please, my parents were really proud about the fact that I got an opportunity here and…"

"Well" Isshin said calmly "they won't be proud once they realize that you won't be working here any longer, not to mention that you'll have to explain to the board of directors why you were messing up with important blood samples. This will go to your record for the rest of your life, you'll be lucky to find job in another hospital."

"Sir, please" Sung-sun begged as tears started to roll down her cheeks "blood tests can be taken again it's not that hard…"

Isshin sighed heavily.

"No, these tests are not like that" he said and Sung-sun noticed how angry he was "since you won't be telling anyone about this I'll explain, Rukia is deadly scared of needles, I had to be extremely careful when I was taking the test and I promised her that she wouldn't need to go through that again for the time being. Now I'll have to explain to her all of this."

"Sir…" Sung-sun tried again "I'll do anything, I just…"

"All you'll do is to go to your locker and take your stuff" Isshin said finally, the menacing tone on his voice was scaring Sung-sun "I'll be reporting this and the board will be contacting you so you can explain this serious misconduct of yours. I'll also have to inform Rukia, I seriously needed those tests."

Sung-sun sobbed.

"I'll leave it to her whether to press charges or not" Isshin said finally.

"Oh no" Sung-sun said frantically after listening about legal actions "I'll apologize to her, perhaps her family will understand… stuff like this happens all the time."

"Not in my hospital" Isshin said with hard eyes "and for the time being I'm Rukia's parental figure, so speaking on behalf of her father I'm telling you right now, I won't let this go that easily."

Sung-sun gaped, who was this girl?

"Do me a favor and inform Senna and your cousin about this" Isshin said "if they are that curious about Kurosaki Rukia they can come and ask me directly."

"Sir…"

"Leave, now" Isshin said "go and tell your parents how you ruined your whole career for the sake of gossip."

Sung-sun stood up and left the office crying.

* * *

"Listen here, assholes" Zaraki Kenpachi said as he observed the class in front of him "since you love to waste my time, I'll make you waste yours."

"Is it okay for a teacher to call the boys "assholes"?" Rukia asked Riruka.

Riruka shrugged.

"I guess… I think is not against the rules or anything" she said not really interested.

"What makes you think he's not calling you assholes too?" Ichigo asked Rukia.

"DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH THE CLASS, KUROSAKI?!" Kenpachi yelled and Ichigo frowned.

"No, Sir" he muttered annoyed and Rukia chuckled.

Ichigo looked at the midget next to him and was surprised at seeing how well she managed to hide the hickey with a ponytail. He could only hope that she wouldn't forget to be careful about it, otherwise the rumors would escalate a lot, he didn't need that. Ichigo then looked at Grimmjow who was looking at the teacher slightly afraid, well… until now the blue haired boy hadn't broken the deal so he supposed that things would go smoothly.

"Now" Kenpachi kept saying "I need you to make two teams, Rukia and Dokugamine will be the captains so all you have to do is to choose in which team you bastards want to be."

"Sir" Ginjo Kugo, a tall and lean-built boy with brown eyes, and shoulder-length black hair, said "I believe that when it comes to sports boys should be the captains I mean…"

Rukia and Riruka frowned.

"What? Is your dick going to fall off just because you follow a girl's lead? Is that what you're saying?" Kenpachi asked angrily "that's a nice way you have to say "I've never being close to a girl" Ginjo!"

Ginjo blushed angrily as the rest of the class laughed.

"Choose your captain!" Kenpachi ordered finally as Rukia and Riruka positioned on opposites sides of the gym.

Ichigo was the first one who walked towards Rukia's side and she smiled smugly at him.

"You don't feel your manhood being threatened by being under my command?" she asked jokingly.

"Unlike Ginjo I do not have a fragile masculinity" Ichigo said smirking and Rukia chuckled.

In the end Rukia's team consisted of Ichigo, Renji, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Keigo and Ishida while on the other side Riruka's team consisted of Grimmjow, a very reluctant Ginjo, Ashido, Ulquiorra, Tsukishima, who was really close to Ginjo, and Mizuiro. Riruka observed her team and sighed heavily, they didn't look like winners and she disliked all of them.

"God is really on your side, right?!" Riruka asked Rukia.

"I can say a few prayers for you" Rukia joked although she had to admit that her team looked better than Riruka's.

"Now" Kenpachi said while grabbing a red, rubber ball "we'll play dodgeball, the team who has one last surviving member wins. Very simple, right? As you know according to the rules if you hit someone above the shoulders it does not count and you'll be disqualified so do your team a favor and leave aside stupid rivalry and play fair."

Riruka noticed how Rukia smiled wickedly after the teacher mentioned "dodgeball" and gulped. Was she really that confident when it came to that? Were the nuns sort of violent and liked to play this sort of thing? No, it couldn't be. She hadn't asked her a lot about the convent but as far as she was concerned Rukia spent most of her time praying and hating the whole "I'm a novice" experience.

"The losers will have to run several laps at the end of the class, so do your best" Kenpachi said "you have exactly one minute to plan a strategy with your teammates."

Rukia turned around and looked at her team, Ichigo noticed how she was smiling as if she had won the lottery.

"Hear me out" Rukia said in all business manner "we have to take the slower ones out first, sorry Keigo but I want you to point at Mizuiro. Ashido and Ginjo are the ones we'll hit after that, they are fatter than the rest so they should be easy, the only one who represents a real problem is Grimmjow so I'll leave that one to you, Ichigo."

Everyone blinked confused as they looked at her.

"What?" Rukia asked.

"Where did you learn this?" Ichigo asked finally in awe.

Rukia scoffed while blushing slightly.

"Do you all agree with the plan? Any suggestions?" she asked.

"I want to protect my beautiful face" Yumichika said "may I be placed at the back?"

Rukia nodded.

"Sure" she said and then smiled at him "but if you don't want to play why don't you point at the ugliest face of the other team? That way you'll be disqualified and they'll have one less player if you knock him unconscious."

Renji and Ichigo exchanged a surprised look.

"Nice plan!" Yumichika said clapping "I'm taking out Ginjo then, I do not like him."

"He's the one with a fragile masculinity, right? If you knock him unconscious I'll tell Riruka to share her skincare routine with you" Rukia promised.

Yumichika smiled.

"I like her" he told Ichigo "if you don't date her I'll get her a boyfriend, that's a promise."

Rukia blinked confused.

"Fuck" Ichigo said scratching the back of his head awkwardly "if that's all we can all start playing, right? Time's over anyway."

Everyone nodded and the game begun.

* * *

"I called to ask you if something bad came up with the blood test" Yoruichi said through the phone as she walked around her store fixing some things "but you're saying that an intern ruined it?!"

"_Yeah"_ Isshin said at the other side of the line and he sounded upset _"do you want to know the worst part? All she wanted to know was her last name._"

Yoruichi scoffed while placing a hat on the counter.

"Is the girl going to pay for that?" she asked.

"_Yes, she will"_ Isshin said as a matter of fact _"unfortunately the other ones who were working with her won't face any consequences."_

"What do you mean?" Yoruichi asked confused, how many interns were involved with this?

"_Do you remember Senna?"_ Isshin asked.

"Ichigo's stalker" Yoruichi said as she remembered the annoying girl "what about her?"

Yoruichi heard Isshin sighing as he began to explain Senna's role in the whole mess. The dark skinned woman was really beginning to get upset, why was Rukia so damn unlucky when it came to girls? She was a novice, didn't she have divine protection or something? Perhaps it was good that she managed to enroll in a school full of boys. Yoruichi couldn't believe what she was hearing, was Hisana that unlucky too? Well, there was a couple of women who were jealous as hell when they saw her holding Byakuya's hand, perhaps it ran in the family.

Her goddaughter was beautiful so it made sense.

"_Teenage girls are crazy"_ Isshin concluded _"the worst part is that Rukia is afraid of needles, I didn't want to take the tests again."_

Yoruichi sighed.

"You can explain everything to her over the weekend" she said calmly "I have a couple of things to tell her too."

"_Yeah, talking about that"_ Isshin said _"I also wanted you to talk to her about Ginrei."_

"Why?" Yoruichi asked apprehensively "I won't hand them the girl…"

"_I know that"_ Isshin interrupted her _"I don't want her to go to them yet, I don't think she's ready."_

"Then?" Yoruichi asked.

"_Ginrei is not feeling well"_ Isshin explained _"ever since they found out that Rukia forgot the Preptol at the convent he's been worried sick, I think that hearing from Rukia would help him feel better."_

Yoruichi frowned.

"Do you want me to convince her to call him?"

"_Basically"_ Isshin said _"she doesn't have to say anything she doesn't want to, but if Ginrei finds out that you're keeping an eye on her he'll feel better."_

Yoruichi had to agree with that, besides knowing the girl she probably missed her family too, a call wasn't a big deal.

"I'll do it" Yoruichi said finally "I make no promises, the girl escaped from the equivalent of a prison if I pressure her too much she might escape from our watch too."

"_I have complete faith in you"_ Isshin said and Yoruichi could picture him smiling _"after all it takes a noble, rich woman to understand a noble, rich girl."_

"Tell me about it" Yoruichi said rolling her eyes.

* * *

To say that Kenpachi was impressed by the Kuchiki heiress was an understatement. The girl took over her team in a matter of seconds and she was actually enjoying the game, was that blood-thirsty satisfaction behind her eyes after seeing the opposite team struggling? She had more in common with her stuck up father than he thought. Much to Kenpachi's surprise Yumichika was the first one to attack, he looked weak but the amount of strength he put on the ball was not a laughing matter.

"Ha!" Ginjo yelled "as if the butterfly could actually…"

"Dodge!" Riruka yelled interrupting him but it was too late, Yumichika's ball hit Ginjo right on the face and the black haired boy fell backwards, completely unconscious. Tsukishima ran to aid him but there was nothing to do, he was completely out.

"Yumichika!" Kenpachi said "out!"

Yumichika wasn't affected at all by that, instead he flashed Riruka's team with a handsome smile and shared a high five with Rukia.

Riruka frowned.

"Grimmjow" she said and looked at the blue haired boy.

"How do you know my name?" he asked her.

"Never mind that" she told him "I need you to take two of her teammates at once, can you do that?"

Grimmjow nodded.

"Which ones?" he asked seriously.

"What makes you think this is the time to chat?" Rukia asked interrupting Riruka's conversation.

"Careful, princess" Riruka yelled back at her "you're way too open!"

Rukia's eyes widened as she saw a ball coming directly towards her, she reacted quickly and dodged it gracefully but Keigo didn't have the same luck, he was hit on the stomach and was out of the game within seconds.

"I almost had her!" Ashido complained and Rukia frowned, that felt like a personal attack.

"Ichigo" Rukia said while looking at him "I want Ashido out, but don't hit him on the head, I need you for this."

Ichigo nodded.

"Understood" he said.

"I won't let you attack, Kurosaki!" Grimmjow said as he threw the ball, Ichigo did the same. Both boys dodged easily and while Ichigo failed at hitting him Grimmjow didn't fail, he hit Ishida and the bespectacled boy fell painfully on the floor.

"Nice aim, idiot!" Tsukishima told Ichigo.

"Watch yourself, Idiot!" Renji yelled and Tsukishima didn't have time to react as Renji hit him with on the stomach with a ball.

Rukia cheered as she saw how Tsukishima was out of the game, she didn't like him.

"You're the best, Renji!" Rukia told him smiling, and the redhead smirked smugly at Ichigo.

"Don't think too high of yourself, idiot" Ichigo told him.

The match kept going like that, Ikkaku managed to take Ulquiorra out of the game although it didn't look as if the green eyed boy wanted to participate that much. Renji hit Mizuiro who was also glad to be out of the game but Ashido hit Ikkaku and Renji so in the end Ashido, Riruka and Grimmjow ended up against Ichigo and Rukia.

Rukia clicked her tongue, through the whole game Ashido had been aiming all of his attacks towards her and she couldn't help but think that he had something against her which was ridiculous, she hadn't even talk to him yet! Rukia wanted him out of the game as soon as possible, he was distracting her so she couldn't attack Riruka freely, what was this guy's problem?

"If he attacks you once more" Ichigo said lowly so only Rukia could hear "I'm beating the shit out of him."

Rukia shook her head.

"Ignore him" she advised him "the point of the game is to attack each other."

"Stop flirting, Kurosaki" Ashido said "the whole school already knows about you two, there's no need to bring this to the classes too!"

Rukia frowned, what did he mean by that?

"Are you jealous?" Ichigo retorted smirking.

"Of what?" Ashido asked angrily while looking at Rukia from head to toe "I can say that I'm not missing anything!"

Riruka gasped offended while Rukia blushed but Ichigo's reaction was the worst, Ashido never saw it coming. The orange haired teenager threw a low ball with such strength and speed that it was barely visible, Ashido only realized what happened when he felt the rubber ball hitting him right between his legs.

Every single boy of the class winced.

"Shit" Grimmjow muttered as he saw his teammate holding his balls and falling to the floor painfully.

"Say something like that to her again" Ichigo threatened "and I'll make sure you remember that pain."

Rukia couldn't help herself as she jumped and hugged Ichigo, saying over and over again "you're the best, carrot top!"

Ichigo was feeling quite proud of himself but the feeling didn't last long because Rukia let go off him quickly to avoid one of Riruka's balls. Now they were even and Ichigo felt determined to win, if it meant that Rukia would hug him again it was completely worth it, not to mention that he was dying to hit Grimmjow.

"Can I ask something?" Riruka asked Rukia.

"Sure" she answered smiling.

"Where did you learn to play like this?" Riruka asked curiously.

Rukia smiled.

"I'll tell you only if you win" she promised.

"Deal!" Riruka said.

After the girls said that both, Grimmjow and Ichigo, didn't hesitate to attack each other. Riruka and Rukia stepped out of the way and suddenly the match turned out really competitive and violent, Rukia didn't know what to do or where to look but Ichigo and Grimmjow were attacking each other with everything they had. It was quite a sight, but everything changed when Grimmjow pretended to aim at Ichigo but instead turned to look at Rukia in the last second. Rukia knew how to dodge but instead, before Grimmjow could actually throw the ball, she made a puppy face at Grimmjow and the blue haired boy hesitated.

Grimmjow had a sudden flashback of the day he met Rukia and her scared face after he threatened to steal her virtue and Ichigo took advantage of his hesitation to hit him.

Grimmjow was out of the game.

"That's cheating!" Riruka gasped and Rukia laughed.

Now, Riruka was alone against Ichigo and Rukia but she decided to play by Rukia's rules. She knew Ichigo was about to throw the ball but Riruka decided to speak before he could.

"Hey, loser" Riruka said to Rukia "the hickey is showing."

It was a lie but Ichigo's eyes widened as he looked at Rukia to make sure that she would cover it quickly but his distraction gave Riruka the perfect moment to hit him, and just like that Ichigo was out of the game.

Rukia rolled her eyes as Riruka laughed.

"I'll make you pay for that" Rukia said but before she could throw the ball the bell rang.

"Okay, that's all!" Kenpachi said "all of you fucking losers will run laps the next class. Someone please tell Ginjo, after he regains consciousness, that the girls are the only winners today, we'll see if his dick falls off after he finds out."

Rukia and Riruka chuckled while all of the boys groaned disappointed, all the boys except for Ashido.

Ashido was seeing red, he was mad at the fact that he had lost his job, his connection with Grimmjow, his cellphone and his dignity. So while he was still in pain he grabbed a rubber ball and decided that detention was going to be worth it, he wanted someone to pay for everything that was happening to him and he decided that that someone was going to be Rukia. So while everyone was talking and walking towards the lockers he followed her discreetly in the middle of his classmates and got ready to hit her on the head.

Ichigo noticed this before anyone else.

"Careful!" Grimmjow yelled as Ashido threw the ball at Rukia and she turned around just in time to see Ichigo getting between her and the ball.

Rukia gasped as Ichigo got hit full on the face and fell on the floor, he wasn't unconscious but he was disoriented and judging by his silly face he couldn't listen to her.

"Carrot top! Carrot top!" Rukia said while kneeling next to him on the floor "are you okay?!"

Ichigo closed his eyes as the pain on his head brought back a memory.

_He was laying on something extremely soft, he was in heaven. He couldn't remember anything before going to bed but this had to be a new pillow, right? Perhaps his father had brought some pillows and decided to change his as a surprise, he would thank him first thing in the morning. Did this pillow have a special scent? Ichigo couldn't tell but it smelled wonderful. _

"_So soft…" he muttered sleepy as he buried his face deeper in the pillow. _

_Without thinking too much, because it was the middle of the night and he didn't feel like opening his eyes, he caressed the pillow with one hand and squeezed gently. Yes, it felt wonderful._

"_Ichigo?" he heard a deep feminine voice asking groggily. _

_Ichigo was pretty sure that he was having a dream and that his new pillow was talking to him._

"_You're my favorite pillow" he said as he caressed the pillow again and fell asleep. _

"Ichigo!" Rukia's voice brought him back to the present.

Her gorgeous violet eyes were looking down at him worriedly and the rest of the class was surrounding them, it didn't take too much for Ichigo to actually realized that he had just remember how he squeezed Rukia's boob in the middle of the night. He felt the need to thank Ashido for hitting him and giving him back the memory but he let that thought aside as he focused on Rukia.

"Ichigo?" she asked confused as he looked at her with a silly expression.

"You have the softest boobs I've ever touched" he said stupidly.

Rukia blushed madly and without thinking too much she grabbed the rubber ball and hit Ichigo on the head again.

The orange haired teenager was unconscious within seconds.

"Well," Renji said while kneeling next to Ichigo to carry him towards the infirmary for the second time in a week "he deserved that."

* * *

"So…" Ukitake said as Kenpachi brought Ashido to his office after gym class "what happened?"

"I didn't do anything!" Ashido said fearfully, he didn't understand why he let his anger get the best of him but this was too much, he didn't want to face the principal over something like this, his parents would kill him.

"Then," Ukitake said calmly while looking at Kenpachi "why are you here?"

"This bastard" Kenpachi said without reservations while pointing at Ashido "attacked a fellow student."

Ukitake's eyes widened.

"Who? Why?" he asked surprised, it was really weird for someone to get in problems during Kenpachi's class.

"Sir" Ashido said "I swear…"

"The new girl" Kenpachi interrupted him "Ku…" he made a pause "the Rukia girl."

Ukitake frowned angrily at Ashido.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

Kenpachi nodded.

"Kurosaki Ichigo protected her" he said "he's going to the infirmary as we speak."

Ukitake sighed relieved, he knew Ichigo could handle a few hits on the head, he trained under Kenpachi after all. It was a good thing that Ichigo and Rukia were so close, if Rukia had suffered serious injuries he would've had to inform a member of her family, luckily nothing like that happened.

"Are you going to suggest a punishment or should we go with the usual detention?" Ukitake asked Kenpachi.

Ashido started to sweat nervously.

"You're letting me choose the punishment?" Kenpachi asked smiling "that's unusual."

"I know how much you dislike men who dare to attack girls without hesitation" Ukitake said calmly as he enjoyed the image of Ashido trembling from head to toe "so?"

Kenpachi smirked.

"I'll handle this boy" he said while nodding "I can make an example out of him."

"I'll leave it to you, then" Ukitake said and Ashido gulped.

He didn't want to know what he was going to do.

* * *

"You have to stop sending that boy towards the infirmary" Riruka said as she walked with Rukia towards the rooftop. They took a shower after gym class and were wearing once again the sailor uniform, Rukia put on Ichigo's sweater again to keep hiding the hickey.

"He's an idiot" Rukia said "everyone heard him! Now, the whole class knows he touched my boobs!"

"Didn't you say to me that you don't care about gossip?" Riruka asked.

"I don't care as long is fake" Rukia said as she took a seat to eat lunch "but lying is a sin, if someone asks directly I won't be able to lie."

Riruka rolled her eyes.

"How are you going to survive your life as a runaway novice if you don't lie?" she asked her.

"I haven't lied, yet" Rukia said proudly "as I told everyone I'm new in town, and as far as everyone is concerned I came to the school because being near to Ichigo is beneficial for me, see? No lies."

Riruka nodded, she was impressed.

"Well, I have to admit you've been doing great" she said "now eat, Doctor Kurosaki told you to eat better, right?"

Rukia nodded.

"That's why I grabbed Ichigo's lunch" she said smiling "he won't need it since he's probably going to sleep until the classes are over."

"Isn't stealing a sin?" Riruka asked.

Rukia shrugged.

"He stole twenty percent of my virginity" she said while blushing "it's only fair for him to give me his lunch."

Riruka chuckled.

"I guess you're right"

* * *

Ichigo woke up as he heard the last bell of the day, he checked the clock on the infirmary wall and groaned inwardly. He needed to talk to Byakuya and ask if he was going to help Ginrei-sama today or if he was going to work at home, either way he had plenty of things to do and now he also needed to copy all of the classes he missed. He wanted to be mad at the midget but the whole thing wasn't entirely her fault, it was Ashido's.

Besides, he sort of deserved it.

He smiled as he remembered her blushing face when he talked about her soft boobs, how could anybody blame him? Sighing happily he decided not to touch the subject again, he would treasure the memory forever, but he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable again. She was a novice so he promised he wouldn't do anything indecent to her again.

"Is that okay with you, God?" he asked aloud "if I don't touch her again I won't end up in the infirmary, right?"

"I didn't take you for a religious one" someone said and Ichigo looked at Unohana smiling at him.

"Unohana-san" Ichigo said "I'm sorry, I was just…"

"Praying?" she asked smiling and Ichigo chuckled.

Unohana was a slender and very youthful woman with blue eyes and black, long hair. Ichigo knew her quite well since she sometimes worked at his father's hospital, she was kind and a wonderful professional. Sometimes Ichigo was quite curious about how someone like her met and fell in love with someone like Zaraki Kenpachi.

"I don't know if you can call that praying" Ichigo said awkwardly, perhaps the midget was getting to him. Ever since when does he pray?

"Well" Unohana said "the classes are over and someone is waiting for you to go home."

"Who?" Ichigo asked and then Rukia stepped into the infirmary holding her backpack along with Ichigo's, she blushed when she saw him.

"Carrot top," she greeted smiling "I never thought I would hear you praying."

Ichigo smirked as he got off the bed.

"Shut up, midget" he said and they both went home together after thanking Unohana.

* * *

Isshin arrived at his house exactly at dinner time. He knew Ichigo was already at home since he told him through text that Byakuya allowed him to work from home, which meant that Kuchiki Rukia was also at his home. Isshin was still trying to process the fact that his best friend's daughter was hiding from his best friend at his own house, it was a mess but he knew that it was for the best, the only thing left to do was to talk with Yuzu and Karin.

Which was probably the reason why Ichigo looked nervous as hell while having dinner with the twins.

"Girls," Isshin said as he enjoyed his dinner "we have something to tell you."

Ichigo stopped eating and Isshin smirked. It was only natural for him to be nervous, Rukia would be the first girl he would bring home, while it was a serious topic Isshin knew he was going to enjoy the conversation.

"What is it, dad?" Yuzu asked with widened eyes.

It wasn't every day that you would see Kurosaki Isshin serious after all.

"Well," Isshin said "remember when you were both younger and you said that you wanted an older sister?"

Karin scoffed.

"Does the fact that you're single finally caught up with you? Are you having a middle age crisis?" she asked her father and Ichigo laughed.

"You are not going to adopt a teenage girl, right?" Yuzu asked fearfully.

"Well…" Isshin said unsure "adopt is not exactly the right word."

_Byakuya would kill me_ Isshin thought.

Karin frowned and then looked at his brother.

"What is he talking about?" she asked Ichigo "he's scaring me."

Ichigo sighed.

"Remember Rukia?" he asked "the same Rukia who's going to have dinner with us this Friday?"

Karin and Yuzu nodded.

"I'll tell you a little bit about her, okay?" Ichigo said "but you have to promise that you'll keep everything as a secret, you cannot talk about this with anyone at school or outside the house, okay?"

"We're not five, Ichi-nii" Karin said rolling her eyes "what is it?"

Ichigo exchanged a look with his father and they both nodded.

"Rukia is a novice" Ichigo started as Karin and Yuzu looked at him as if he had gone mad "she escaped recently and I'm helping her to hide from the nuns who are looking for her and her father. I won't go into details, because I don't know them and even if I did I think it's up to her to share them, but while she was inside the convent she had quite a difficult time."

"Bullying?" Yuzu asked with a sad face.

Ichigo nodded.

"She doesn't like to talk about it, she's free now and she's trying to enjoy a normal life" he explained "she goes to my school, as you saw, and she's been enjoying herself. Today she even won a match of dodgeball."

Karin smirked impressed.

"Well, I liked her for a reason" she said "so, why are you telling all of this to us?"

"For two reasons," Ichigo said "the first one is so you don't interrogate her too much the next Friday, she doesn't talk about the convent so we should respect that."

"Okay," Yuzu said nodding "what's the second reason?"

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, this was the tricky part.

"Since Rukia is running away her housing situation is not easy," he explained calmly "she has to use the bathroom at unholy hours so she doesn't bother anyone, she keeps quiet most of the time, when she leaves towards school she uses a window and the place in which her bed is doesn't have sunlight."

Karin gaped as Yuzu's eyes shone with unshed tears.

Isshin crossed his arms, now he understood how Ichigo managed to hide the girl from him. Quite clever but just as he thought it wasn't healthy for someone like Rukia to keep hiding like that.

"What?!" Karin asked indignantly "then?!"

"Well…" Ichigo said scratching the back of his head "how do I explain this?"

Isshin cleared his throat.

"I met Rukia-chan yesterday" he explained "she went to the hospital with Ichigo."

"Is she sick?" Yuzu asked sadly. She couldn't believe how someone so pretty and kind had so many problems, she wanted to know if she could help her.

Isshin nodded.

"Yes, but she's already on treatment and I cannot share everything with you" he said "patient's confidentiality. The thing is that after hearing her story I decided that I wanted to help her, I like her and she's become really close with Ichigo."

Karin smirked devilishly at Ichigo who looked at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"So I offered her to live here, with us!" Isshin said finally with a huge smile.

Yuzu gasped.

"Did she accept?" she asked.

Isshin shook his head.

"She told me that she would accept only if you two were okay with sharing your room with her" he said "she was really worried about your reaction, she says that perhaps you won't feel comfortable while sharing the house with a stranger out of the blue."

Karin's eyes widened, she was really considerate.

"But we have space!" Yuzu said while standing up "after all daddy expanded our room two years ago, so another bed fits in with no problems and Rukia-nee seems really polite and kind! Besides, who knows what kind of people live with her?! You should've brought her immediately! She's sick! Living with a doctor will be great for her!"

"I guess that means that you accept" Ichigo said smiling and then looked at Karin "what do you think, Karin?"

Karin shrugged.

"Well, she seemed nice enough" she said pretending not to be interested "she's pretty and she thinks I'm badass, I think that living with her won't be hard."

Ichigo smiled at that.

"And perhaps that way the neighbors will stop gossiping about how single you are" she added while looking at Ichigo.

"Shut up" Ichigo said frowning.

"Then it's settled" Isshin said while standing up and then looked at Ichigo "when will she move in?"

Ichigo thought about it for a second.

"I'll bring her along with her stuff on Friday" he said finally "since she's going with us to the countryside it'll be best for her to sleep here that night."

Karin and Yuzu exchanged a smile.

"We'll finally have another female on the road trip!" Yuzu said excitedly "Oh, Karin-chan! We need to make space in our room!"

Karin nodded.

"Females will run this house in no time!" she said smugly.

"Mom!" Isshin said while running towards Masaki's poster "we have a third daughter! We finally have a third daughter!"

Ichigo groaned, he didn't want to imagine how Rukia was going to react at his family's dynamics. Although he was thankful, and happy, at the fact that the midget was finally going to live normally inside his own house.

* * *

Rukia sighed as she finished eavesdropping the whole thing from upstairs, Riruka was right, the twins were fine with her living with them.

"Thank you" she said while looking up "thank you, God."

She couldn't wait for Friday night.

* * *

**THE NEXT CHAPTER IS THE DINNER AND THE BEGINNING OF THE WEKEEND ON THE COUNTRYSIDE! **

**Okay, I've been dying to write about that so I'm excited, I hope you're excited too! It took me a lot of time to write this chapter so I would appreciate reviews, and if you could tell me which was your favorite part of the chapter is I would love it. **

**Now, to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter! **

**Bleach power: Oh, Grimmjow's school life is barely starting I promise! Thank you so much for your review, there will be more of Senna in the chapters to come! Thanks again for the support, let me know if you liked this chapter, kisses! **

**XLeoX10: Thank you so much for your review! I'm really glad you like the story! Don't worry, I'm not planning to leave it anytime soon! Let me know if you liked this chapter, okay? Take care!**

**Jobananasan: You actually guessed one of my plans on your review? How do you do it? I love it! Thank you so much for your review, it makes me smile! And yes, the countryside weekend will be super eventful I mean what else can we expect from Urahara and Yoruichi? I cannot wait for you to read it! Let me know what you liked about this chapter, okay? I'll be waiting for your review, kisses!**

**Vickss: You're right! Grimmjow is always hot, I have more things planned for him but we'll have to wait for a while! Let me know if you liked this chapter, okay? Thank you for the reviews and the support! Kisses! **

**Haru000: Thank you for your review! We will find out how the last name thing works out in the next chapter so stay tuned! Did you like this chapter? Which was your favorite part? Let me know, I'll be waiting for your review! Kisses and thanks again!**

**Achalida: I'm glad you loved the bed scene, I have a few scenes like that planned! Hopefully you'll like them! Thank you so much for your review! Let me know what you liked the most about this chapter, okay? Take care, kisses! **

**RukiYuki: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you like the story so far, don't worry Byakuya will have to wait a little longer! Let me know what you think about this chapter, okay? ****Kisses! Take care!**

**Natsumivat: Me encantan tus reviews, de verdad siempre me hacen sonreir. Me encanta que te guste la historia y prometo que Ichigo va a tomar otro buen porcentaje de la virginidad de Rukia pronto, okay? Espero leer tus reacciones con respecto a este capítulo, espero te haya gustado. Voy a estar esperando tu review, besos. (Por cierto, solo por curiosidad ¿de qué país eres? Yo soy de El Salvador y me encanta recibir reviews en español) Cuídate. **

**Ichirukitrash4ever: I'm so glad that my stories make you happy, that seriously motivates me to keep writing! I hope you liked this chapter, and as you guessed Senna will cause more problems and the nuns will get punished. More Ichiruki scenes are about to come. Let me know what you think about this chapter, okay? Take care, kisses! **

**If I didn't mention you let me know so I can thank you properly. **

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Warnings: **

**-Long chapter ahead, I mean it, this is probably the longest chapter I've wrote on this site. **

**-There's a little debate at some point in the chapter, it's obviously inspired by some of my personal thoughts so don't take it too serious, hopefully it'll make sense for you.**

**Finally:**

**-There's a gift for every single one that leaves me lovely reviews at the end of the chapter (don't read ahead, you'll spoil the whole chapter) **

**Happy reading! **

**Chapter 14**

* * *

Renji wanted to kill Ichigo, he seriously wanted to beat him to a pulp. Because while they were best friends, even sometimes they would consider each other a brother, he couldn't help but blame him for his current predicament.

Abarai Renji, the badass looking boy with tattoos, was at church on a Friday afternoon.

_Ichigo woke him up at five in the freaking morning while calling frantically saying things about how Renji needed to wake up and get ready because he was going to his apartment along with Rukia. Renji thought about laughing the whole thing off, he was obviously joking, right? But after a few minutes of Ichigo insisting over the phone how he wasn't joking Renji decided to get ready. _

_Ichigo and Rukia arrived thirty minutes later and Ichigo, being the whipped asshole he was, was carrying a few bags and a giant bunny plushie. _

"_Listen" Ichigo said seriously while dropping everything inside Renji's apartment "Rukia will be moving officially to my house today, so I'll pretend to come and pick her up at the end of the day." _

"_That's why you brought all of her stuff here?" Renji asked annoyed._

_Ichigo nodded. _

"_Yeah," he said and then frowned "I also need you to spend the afternoon with her, I'll come pick her up after work."_

_Rukia frowned._

"_Why are two speaking as if I'm not here?" she asked upset. _

The rest of the day went away in a blur, they all went to classes and when the school day was over Rukia dragged Renji towards church. She was, for some reason, extremely nervous and she wanted to pray before going back to Renji's apartment, she also told him how she needed to confess because she had been doing indecent stuff with Ichigo. Renji didn't think that touching a boob by accident and having a hickey were sins but nuns were weird so he refrained from saying anything.

Besides she didn't need to worry, the hickey was already gone.

"I don't want to pressure you," Renji said to Rukia as they stepped into the ancient looking, sacred building "but can you make this quick?"

Rukia nodded.

"Sure," she said as she grabbed his hand "just take a seat here and I'll be back in a few minutes."

Renji nodded as he took a seat at the end of the church while Rukia went inside the confessionary. He took a deep breath as he looked around him, the building was cold and he didn't know if he was allowed to take out his cellphone and play games while waiting. He looked to the front at the altar and gulped, he had never been religious, he never thought it would be necessary for him or his daily life, what was he supposed to do inside here? Should he pray? He didn't even know how, perhaps he should've asked Rukia when he had the chance.

"Excuse me," someone said beside him and when he looked at the person he found himself face to face with a kind, old lady "are you with the pretty girl who is confessing?"

Renji nodded.

"Wasn't she dating an orange haired boy?" the old lady asked frowning.

Renji chuckled, apparently Ichigo had totally made an impression with the old ladies when Rukia dragged him to the same place. Would it be okay to say they were dating? Looking at the old lady Renji thought that it was for the best, if they were to believe that Rukia had a formal, serious relationship with Ichigo they wouldn't frown at them whenever they see them. Besides, judging by Rukia's habit of coming to church, and Ichigo's inability to be away from her for too long, the old ladies would be seeing them often.

"Oh yeah," he said casually "I'm just keeping an eye on her today, Ichigo is busy with work and he was worried about her getting into trouble."

"Oh," the old lady said while smiling, she took a seat next to Renji "are those two in love?" she asked and Renji noticed how other four old ladies approached them.

In a matter of seconds he was literally surrounded by them.

"Well" Renji said pensively "they just met recently, but I've never seen Ichigo behave like that with another girl, I can tell he's falling hard for her."

The old ladies gasped happily.

"What about her?" another lady asked curiously "is she in love?"

"It's hard to say," Renji said while crossing his arms "she just recently escaped from a…" he made a pause of two seconds while deciding what to say "really bad place, so I believe she had never been close to a boy, but she looks happy whenever she's with him."

"She escaped?" an old lady couldn't help to ask.

Renji nodded.

"Yeah, they met by casualty but Ichigo hadn't left her side ever since" he explained smiling, he was having fun chatting with the old ladies "you should've seen his face when he saw her eyes for the first time, he gaped like an idiot and took her home with him, just like that!"

Some old ladies fanned themselves and others clapped happily.

"Is he treating her well?" another lady asked and Renji nodded.

"Yeah," he answered "he already introduced her to his father and now she's going to move in officially with him. Ichigo has been texting me the whole time, he's nervous about finally bringing a girl home."

Renji took out his cellphone and showed the text message to the old ladies, half of them took out their glasses from their purses to be able to read it but Renji waited patiently for them. He didn't have anything else to do and they all seemed to be cheering for Ichigo and Rukia, it was fun to see.

**From:** _Orange haired asshole._

"_Is she okay? Is she having fun? Just keep an eye on her, okay? Also treat her to ice cream or something, I'll pay you later, I'll also try to leave work earlier. Do you think I should give her a present or something? Why the fuck am I nervous too?" _

The old ladies chuckled.

"He's quite the overprotective one, isn't he?" one of them asked amused.

Renji shrugged.

"He has this tendency to protect everyone" Renji said while rolling his eyes "he's a good guy."

The next few minutes were really entertaining for Renji, the old ladies kept asking questions and he answered them gladly. They asked about him and his friendship with Ichigo and he told them several stories, he ended up enjoying the old ladies company so much that he promised to come back sometime, they even invited him to some tea parties and some upcoming events at the church. Another old lady even gave him a calendar with the church's events so he wouldn't miss anything and Renji promised them to assist to at least one of them.

"Renji," someone called him and he turned around with a huge smile "what are you doing?" Rukia asked him amused and he blushed as his smile faded.

He stood up suddenly and walked towards her.

"Are you done?" he asked her "did you confess all your sins?"

Rukia nodded.

"Yes, I'm ready to go" she said "did Ichigo call you? Is he going to leave work soon?"

All of the old ladies chuckled and Renji scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Rukia didn't need to know that all of the church ladies now believed that she was dating Ichigo and she definitely didn't need to know how all of them believed that she looked extremely cute next to the orange haired idiot.

"We should leave" Renji said and then turned around to look at the old ladies "goodbye!" he said kindly.

All of them waved at him as he left along with Rukia.

"So…" Rukia said smiling as they walked down the street "did you have fun?"

Renji blushed as he looked aside and Rukia laughed loudly.

* * *

"Please, don't make that face" Ginrei said smiling slightly as Ichigo stepped into his room while holding some documents "you should be happy to see me."

Ichigo chuckled.

"I'm always happy to see you, Ginrei-sama" he said "although I would be happier if you were out there helping me with the guest's room."

Ginrei sighed.

"I'm sorry, my boy" he said as Ichigo approached him "I know I told you I would make you work a lot with me but I heard some… upsetting news. At my age some things just take me down quite easily."

Ichigo chuckled as he left the documents on Ginrei's bedside table.

"At your age?" Ichigo asked "please Ginrei-sama, you still have lots of energy. The bedridden look does not suit someone like you."

Ginrei laughed.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, my boy" he said with a kind smile.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Ichigo asked while putting his hands inside his pockets "perhaps I can do something to help you out with these upsetting news…"

Ginrei shook his head in negative. For several days he had been thinking about asking Ichigo for help to find Rukia, he was young so he knew the city really well, he was going to Seireitei High School and Rukia had been seen wearing that uniform so if anyone could actually help was him.

Unfortunately Ichigo wasn't aware that Byakuya had a daughter.

Rukia's existence was a secret between their social circle, the rival companies, the business associates and even some acquaintances knew that Byakuya had a daughter but they had never seen her, everyone assumed that Rukia was sent to study overseas and no one ever bothered to correct that fact. Rukia had been home schooled and all of the employees inside the residence signed confidentiality contracts. So outside the family only Kurosaki Isshin, who was the family doctor, and Yoruichi Shihoin, who was Hisana's best friend, knew about Rukia's situation and physical appearance.

Although anyone who had met Hisana would recognize her immediately which only endangered Rukia in case anyone who had something against the Kuchiki clan would see her going around town on her own.

"My boy…" Ginrei said deciding that Ichigo could be trusted and that he needed his help "there's something I want to ask you."

Ichigo nodded.

"There's…" Ginrei started but he stopped himself.

If Ichigo were to see Rukia, by mere luck, around Karakura what would he do? Would he simply approach her and tell her that her family is worried sick about her? Would Rukia listen to a complete stranger? No, if Ichigo were to find her she wouldn't listen to him, if anything she would panic and leave the city as fast as she could, it was a risk they couldn't take.

Ginrei cleared his throat.

"I promise I'll be better by Monday" he said with a smile "so go and enjoy your weekend, we'll do everything we were supposed to do the next week, okay?"

Ichigo smiled and nodded.

"Yes, sir" he said respectfully.

Ginrei nodded, he thought it was the best choice. If Ginrei were to see Rukia while going around town, as long as he was with Ichigo approaching Rukia would be easier, something was telling him that his granddaughter wouldn't reject him.

He only hoped he was right.

* * *

After his conversation with Ginrei, Ichigo went towards the studio and told Byakuya that his car would be parked at the Kurosaki's house the whole weekend, since he was going outside the city with his family. Byakuya also mentioned how he could pick the motorcycle any time, but Ichigo decided that it would be for the best to have it at the Kuchiki enterprise since he was going to drive Ginrei around the next week.

Byakuya agreed with him and after discussing some work related topics he was allowed to leave earlier than usual.

He drove towards Renji's place and wondered why he was so nervous. Karin and Yuzu agreed to have Rukia without problems and his father was the one who suggested the whole thing, still Ichigo couldn't help but think that this was the first time he would be having a girl over, sure he had lived with the midget on his closet but this felt totally different.

"What are you doing to me, Midget?" Ichigo asked aloud as he parked.

It was time to pick her up and take her home, officially this time.

* * *

"You should try to relax a little" Menoly said while looking at Senna pacing back and forth in her room "he hasn't contacted your parents…"

"Yet!" Senna screeched panic stricken and Nel rolled her eyes.

"You'll be okay," Nel said while sighing heavily "perhaps he'll be too busy to even remember that you were involved in this whole mess, you might get lucky."

Senna blinked.

"I need to make sure, otherwise I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Menoly nodded.

"We can ask" she suggested "or we could check Ichigo's social media…"

"He doesn't use it that often" Senna said while huffing "who are we going to ask? Do you know anyone?"

Loly shrugged.

"We're not really friends with her but Tatsuki may know something…" she said pensively "you know she's Ichigo's friend."

Senna frowned.

"What are you going to ask her? Won't she become suspicious? She doesn't like me" she said annoyed, she had never done anything to Tatsuki but for some reason the tomboy liked to avoid Senna, and her friends, like the plague.

"Let me do the talking" Nel said as Menoly took out her cellphone "she doesn't like me either but I think I have an idea."

All of the girls watched apprehensively as Menoly dialed Tatsuki's number.

* * *

Tatsuki was a tomboyish teenager of average height with black hair and brown eyes, she was on the national Karate team. Her best friend was Inoue Orihime and she was a childhood friend of Ichigo, on Friday afternoon she liked to go to the dojo and practice without a care until it was dinner time so she could go back home. That's why when her cellphone rang at the end of her training she frowned.

All of her friends knew she hated to be interrupted during her Friday routine so, who was calling her?

"Hello" she answered annoyed.

"_Oh, Tatsuki"_ the voice at the other side of the line said _"it's me, Nel."_

Tatsuki frowned deeper, why was Nel, of all people, calling her?

"What is it?" Tatsuki asked rudely.

"_I was just wondering, do you have Ichigo's number? I need it." _

Tatsuki rolled her eyes. She knew who Nel's friends were so there was no way in hell she was giving her Ichigo's number, otherwise Senna wouldn't stop calling him and Ichigo would throw a fit over the whole thing.

"I have it," Tatsuki said while taking a seat on the bleachers around the dojo "but I'm not giving it to you."

There was heavy sigh at the other side of the line and Tatsuki assumed that Nel was about to insult her. She didn't know her really well but seeing the green haired girl so comfortable with Senna's friendship led Tatsuki to believe that she couldn't trust her, it had been a while since Tatsuki had seen Riruka but no one at school ever forgot how Senna, and her friends, treated the pink haired girl. That's why Tatsuki didn't like them.

She couldn't stand bullies.

"_Listen" _Nel said _"I just want to make an appointment with his father at the hospital…"_

"Then call the hospital" Tatsuki interrupted her "it's a private hospital but they won't deny you an appointment, although I doubt Ichigo's father will see you personally, he already has his own agenda of patients."

"_Exactly"_ Nel said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world _"I want Ichigo to tell his father that I want an appointment with him, hopefully he won't refuse his son's friends."_

Tatsuki scoffed.

"You're not Ichigo's friend" she said without reservations "I'm pretty sure he'll get mad if I give you his phone, besides you won't be able to contact him this weekend."

"_Why's that?"_ Nel asked.

Tatsuki sighed heavily, she knew Ichigo was going to the countryside for the weekend, Yuzu tweeted about how excited she was about having a family weekend out of town, but Nel didn't need to know about it, Tatsuki was pretty sure that Yuzu's twitter was private and that she had blocked Senna and her close friends, the blonde girl was really careful around them.

Besides Tatsuki wasn't an idiot, she knew that if Nel was curious was because Senna wanted to know, she wasn't fooling anyone.

"_Family weekend"_ Tatsuki muttered finally _"and I cannot keep talking to you, I'm busy."_

"Fine" Nel said "thanks anyway, see you at school."

Tatsuki hung up while rolling her eyes, that girl was really annoying.

* * *

"Well," Nel said to Senna as the call ended "you'll be able to survive this weekend at least."

Senna nodded, she would have to worry about the consequences of her actions until the next week. Hopefully Kurosaki Isshin would forget all about her until then.

* * *

"I'm nervous" Rukia said while hugging the Chappy plushie closer to her chest "I don't even know why."

Ichigo, who was driving towards home, nodded.

"It's okay," he said calmly "it's the first time you'll be officially living with another family, it's only natural to be nervous."

"Do you think they'll like me?" Rukia asked quietly.

Ichigo chuckled, sometimes it baffled him how someone like Rukia could doubt herself so much. He suspected that the convent had something to do with it and while he didn't dislike her vulnerable side he preferred a million times over the confident midget that would kick his ass. Hopefully living with his family would help her to get rid of all the bad memories so she could heal at least a little.

"They already like you" he said and then turned in another street "we're almost there, try to relax."

Rukia took a deep breath and said a prayer quietly.

* * *

When Isshin arrived home he noticed how Yuzu and Karin were ready to have dinner, the table was set and the food was ready. He blinked surprised at how excited they were about having a guest, it was quite a sight.

"Do you think they are coming soon?" Karin asked while watching TV "I'm hungry already."

Isshin was about to tell them not to worry when they heard the front door being opened. Both, Karin and Yuzu, ran towards it to greet their brother and Rukia. Isshin sighed as he looked at Masaki's poster.

"Please," he whispered "let this be okay."

* * *

Rukia decided that she loved the Kurosaki household the minute she got inside. Karin and Yuzu greeted her, although Yuzu was the one who was smiling the most, Karin was simply smirking at her but Rukia could tell that she was being nice.

"How come you never come and greet me like this?" Ichigo asked frowning.

"Never mind that" Karin said easily while grabbing Rukia's hand, Yuzu on her side gasped while taking Chappy and hugging it tightly.

"Come with us, Rukia-nee" Yuzu said "we'll show you our room before dinner."

Rukia felt herself smiling warmly at their welcoming and ran upstairs with them. Once she was inside the room she realized that while Ichigo's room was simple and average, the twin's room was quite the opposite.

Ichigo's room didn't look like a rich boy's room but the twin's room reminded Rukia of her old room at the Kuchiki mansion. It had enough space for three beds, there was a couple of twin beds against the wall on the left and they were separated with a bedside table. On the opposite side was what Rukia thought was her bed, it was neatly done and it had the most comfortable looking pillows she had laid her eyes on. In the middle of the room was a desk with a laptop and some books and papers were scattered over it, and next to it was a closet. The walls were painted light blue and there was a single poster of a soccer team just above the computer.

"This is awesome" Rukia exclaimed while looking around, she had never stopped to think how much she missed her room back at home but this was seriously bringing her memories.

Besides it was a million times better than the convent.

"Thank you" Karin said smugly "the old man let us get the bigger room around the house and he extended it a little."

Yuzu smiled as she put the Chappy plushie on Rukia's bed.

"We made some space for you inside the closet" she said kindly.

Ichigo stepped into the room then, he was still carrying Rukia's bags.

"You can arrange your stuff later" he said as he put everything on the floor "we should go down and eat."

Rukia nodded while smiling at him.

* * *

Isshin found himself laughing at dinner while Ichigo and Rukia kept talking about the dodgeball match they had a few days prior, Karin even praised Rukia for her strategy. Just as the twins promised they didn't ask questions about Rukia's past or the convent and, as Isshin predicted, everything was going smoothly. Rukia was extremely well behaved during dinner, she kept her back straight, her elbows weren't on the table and the way she ate spoke volumes of her upbringing. Isshin could see Byakuya's influence on her, it was quite a sight.

"Okay" Isshin said happily once everyone finished eating "you all better go to bed, we'll leave tomorrow before the sun rises!"

"Fuck" Ichigo said while groaning and Isshin kicked him under the table.

"No cursing in front of the ladies!"

"Shut up, old man!" Ichigo said while ignoring the pain on his leg "tomorrow is Saturday! Why do I have to go to the countryside?! Urahara will torture me!"

"Urahara?" Rukia asked curiously.

"Yoruichi's husband" Ichigo explained carelessly while running a hand through his messy hair "you'll understand once you see him."

"It'll be fun!" Yuzu said happily "it's been a while since Ichi-nii went to the countryside with us."

"Really?" Rukia asked while looking at Ichigo "why?"

"Work" he said simply "but yeah, we should go to bed otherwise you'll all fall asleep on the road leaving me alone to deal with..."

"MASAKI! WE ARE FINALLY HAVING A FAMILY WEEKEND, AND OUR THIRD DAUGHTER IS GOING WITH US THIS TIME!" Isshin yelled from the living room while hugging his wife's poster.

"That" Ichigo finished and Rukia laughed.

* * *

Once Rukia was in bed she sighed heavily. She couldn't believe how much at home she was feeling, it was amazing. Sharing a room with girls had been literally hell for her while inside the convent but now, as she observed how Yuzu and Karin got ready to go to bed, she couldn't imagine better roommates. Yuzu smiled as she took a seat next to Rukia on the bed.

"Did you like dinner?" Yuzu asked her shyly.

Rukia noticed how the blonde girl wouldn't stop hugging Chappy and she couldn't blame her.

"I loved it!" Rukia said "you're an amazing cook!"

Karin joined them and smirked at her.

"Why do I feel like you want to ask me something?" Rukia asked her smiling.

"I want to" Karin said "but Ichi-nii warned us not to."

Rukia chuckled.

"It's about the convent, right?" she asked casually.

Yuzu gasped.

"So you were really inside a convent?! Did you really escape?!"

Rukia nodded.

"Yeah," she said "what do you want to know about?"

"Will you tell us everything?" Karin asked curiously.

"No" Rukia said while shaking her head "I rather forget some of the things that happened to me inside there, but ask away and I'll try to answer most of your questions."

Yuzu and Karin exchanged a look, Rukia assumed that they had already decided what they wanted to know.

"How did you escape?" Both twins asked at the same time while looking at her and Rukia laughed.

"I'll tell you" she said "but you have to keep the secret, I haven't even told Ichigo."

"We promise!" Yuzu said.

Rukia nodded and started to tell them everything, she told them how she planned the whole thing and how hard it was to keep her movements a secret inside the convent. She found herself enjoying the whole thing and Karin and Yuzu laughed on several parts, Rukia didn't know when it happened but once her story was over the twins were asleep, Yuzu on her right and Karin on her left.

Rukia smiled fondly at them and buried her face on her pillow.

She couldn't imagine a better home for her.

* * *

Rukia woke up the next day with Ichigo looking at her.

"What?" she asked groggily, the sun wasn't out yet and he had already showered and was completely dressed to start the day.

"Why are my sisters sleeping on your bed?" he asked and Rukia chuckled.

"We spent most of the night talking" she explained "they fell asleep before I did so they didn't go to their beds."

"Leave, Ichi-nii," Karin said while covering her face with Rukia's pillow "give us ten more minutes."

"No" Ichigo said frowning "if you don't get ready now we'll be late, you can sleep on the car!"

The next minutes were a complete war against Ichigo who kicked Rukia and the twins off the bed so they could all get ready. Once the whole ordeal was done Rukia found herself yawning while waiting in front of Ichigo's house along with Karin and Yuzu. Isshin was taking the car in which they would be going out of the garage and once he parked next to them Rukia's eyes widened.

"Nice" Rukia said as she saw the black Maserati Levante in front of her, it was amazing and had the most classy details, she was still surprised at how she never noticed that Ichigo was rich. The Kurosakis were really good at hiding that aspect of their life.

"It's comfortable" Karin said as Ichigo started to put their bags on the trunk "do you know a lot about cars?"

"Not really" Rukia said while she passed her bag to Ichigo "I just like them, although I found myself enjoying motorcycles a lot more lately" she said while smirking at Ichigo who groaned while blushing slightly.

"Oh" Karin said smirking.

"We're ready" Ichigo said while ignoring his sister's devilish smirk "let's go."

The twins and Rukia got into the backseat ready to go to the countryside.

* * *

Riruka yawned as she received a text really early on Saturday.

**From:** _Runaway loser_

"_I'm already on my way to the countryside, can you believe it? I'm excited! I'll send you pictures so you can tell me which one I should use on my social media, okay?" _

Riruka smiled, well at least she was going to have fun.

She couldn't wait to hear all the details.

* * *

Ichigo observed through the rear view mirror how Rukia kept looking through the car window with a smile, her gorgeous, violet eyes were shining with happiness as she observed the passing landscape. They were already quite far from Karakura and the sun was starting to come out. Karin and Yuzu were asleep and Yuzu was resting on Rukia's shoulder as if this was something that happened every weekend, Ichigo could also tell that Rukia was trying not to move so Yuzu wouldn't wake up, he was really grateful.

Isshin smirked as he saw how Ichigo kept looking, discreetly, at the backseat. It was more than obvious how happy he was to have Rukia coming along, he didn't even complain while carrying the bags towards the car.

He was really looking forward to enjoy the whole weekend.

* * *

"You look nervous, Yoruichi-san" Urahara said playfully as he observed how Yoruichi gave instructions to the maids so they could prepare the girls guest's room. The purple haired woman was huffing and pacing and she even tried to choose and appropriate sheet color, ever since when did she care about the sheet's color?

Urahara was really amused.

"Shut up," Yoruichi said rudely while taking a seat on the living room "Isshin wants me to convince Rukia to talk with Ginrei, I don't even know how to touch the subject."

"Which subject exactly?" Urahara asked "the fact that you were her mother's best friend? The fact that you're her godmother? The fact that Kuchiki Byakuya already went to your store once while looking for her? Or the fact that the boy who's living with her is also her father's assistant?"

Yoruichi glared at him.

"There are several things that you mentioned that I won't tell her" she said while crossing her arms "she'll have to find by herself that Ichigo works for Byakuya, I'm not messing up that friendship."

Urahara nodded.

"You mentioned that they look really close" he said curiously "I'm dying to see them interact."

Yoruichi smiled.

"You just wait until you see how Ichigo looks at her" she said "Byakuya will kill him when he finds out."

* * *

Just as Rukia thought, the countryside was gorgeous.

Yuzu and Karin woke up just in time for her to open the window and admire the landscape even better. They were passing through roads with hundreds of trees on both sides of the street and the morning sun gave an ethereal glow to the whole place, Rukia suddenly felt free. She sighed happily as she enjoyed the air on her face, it was a completely new experience for her.

She also noticed, as they kept advancing, how far away from the city they were. There were no buildings nearby and, once they left the road surrounded by trees, all she could see were fields of grass and flowers. Rukia's eyes widened as she saw how amazing everything was, she had never seen this amount of flowers in her life.

"Amazing, right?" Yuzu asked her smiling after noticing her expression.

Rukia nodded.

"I've never been outside the city" she explained with a smile "so this is new for me!"

Karin smirked.

"Then we totally have to show you the town once we get there" she said and then looked at her father "once we reach the town pull over and we'll walk from there!"

Ichigo frowned.

"Hell no!" he said while turning around so he could look properly at everyone in the backseat "you can enjoy the town after leaving your own bags at your room."

"Oh, come on!" Karin said smirking "we didn't bring that many, you can handle our bags."

"I'm not your butler" Ichigo retorted.

"But Rukia-nee wants to see the town," Karin said smugly while crossing her arms "right?"

Ichigo then looked at Rukia, she looked excited and happy as the breeze played with her hair, her cheeks were slightly pink and he knew deep down that she was dying to know which town Karin was talking about.

"It's okay," Rukia said before Ichigo could say anything, she smiled sadly at him "we cannot leave the bags to you, I can wait."

Ichigo frowned, he knew she was lying and that she would be disappointed if she didn't stop by the town first.

"Never mind," he said grumpily while looking in front of him again "check out the town, I'll leave your bags in the car until you arrive."

Rukia smiled and exchanged a high five with Karin while Yuzu giggled.

Thirty minutes later Ichigo found himself sighing as they reached the town, the countryside was really busy as the people woke up early to start their morning routines. Isshin parked, just like Karin told him, and they promised to be on time for breakfast.

Once the girls got out of the car Ichigo closed his eyes. There were still ten minutes before reaching Yoruichi's house so perhaps he would be able to rest for that amount of time, he could enjoy the rest of the ride in silence and peace. No more of Karin's suggestive smiles whenever he would look at Rukia and no more of looking at the midget through the rear view mirror to make sure that she was enjoying herself.

Ten minutes just for himself.

"My third daughter is so gorgeous!" Isshin said while interrupting Ichigo's inner peace "look at her, she's already attracting the eyes of the locals!"

Ichigo opened his eyes only to find out that his father was right, Rukia was on the sidewalk and at least five local boys looked at her while passing by.

Ichigo frowned at that.

Rukia was wearing a white sundress, her hat and blue shoes, she looked like a rich, city girl so it was obvious that she was going to call the attention of the country boys. Ichigo wondered why that fact bothered him so much but it wasn't any of his business, right? She was going to be okay and even if some boy were to approach her she would reject them, right?

"Have you seen anyone so pretty before?" a random boy asked while looking at Rukia who was now being dragged by Yuzu towards the bakery.

"Never," another boy answered "should I go and ask her number? Perhaps she's visiting someone..."

Ichigo groaned inwardly as he looked at the two boys. They were obviously farm boys, and while there was nothing wrong with that, he knew that city girls were easy targets for them to approach and flirt. Especially city girls that were acting as silly tourists.

Ichigo opened the car door.

"Where are you going, son?" Isshin asked him.

"If no one stops them they'll check the whole town and they'll be late for breakfast" Ichigo answered "I'll see you at the house."

Isshin nodded with a smile as Ichigo got out of the car and walked towards where Rukia and the twins were. Isshin chuckled as he dialed Urahara's number.

_"Hello?"_ the mad hatter answered with a sing song voice.

"Hey, it's me" Isshin greeted "I'm about to arrive, is Tessai there? I'm going to need his help with the bags."

_"Aren't you coming with four youngsters? Teenagers should be able to handle their own luggage"_ Urahara said jokingly.

"They'll get to the house a little later than me" Isshin explained "the girls were dying to explore the town."

_"Ichigo went with them? That's weird"_ Urahara said.

"Oh, he despised the idea" Isshin said amused "but he couldn't help himself after he noticed how much attention the Kuchiki heiress was attracting to herself."

Urahara laughed loudly.

_"Oh, he's got it bad!"_ he said and Isshin could picture him smiling _"don't worry, Tessai will handle their bags!"_

"Great, I'll be there in a few minutes."

* * *

When Rukia got down of the car she smiled widely. The town was amazing, with brick roads and trees on both sides of the street, there were little stores all around the place and the smells were amazing, she hadn't realized how hungry she was until she smelled the bread. Looking at her right she noticed a bakery and her mouth watered.

There were a lot of people walking around, even if it was still really early, women wearing aprons were going through stores and carrying bags with fruits and vegetables while some farm boys were just hanging around talking and laughing loudly. Everything was sort of rural and new for her.

She loved it.

"Let's go to the bakery first" Karin suggested "if we buy something for Yoruichi she might forgive us for arriving a little late."

Yuzu nodded and took Rukia's hand.

They crossed the road and stepped into the bakery, it smelled so good that Rukia worried that her stomach might start making sounds. Karin chose some things from the counter as if she had done it countless times before and the old lady that was in charge of the store smiled at her. Rukia wanted to buy something to eat too so she started to look at her options when someone put an arm around her shoulders.

She gasped and was about to punch whoever was touching her out of the blue when she recognized who it was.

"Ichigo!" she said startled "I thought you didn't want to check the town."

"I already know this place" he said uninterested "but this is better than the old man singing in the car."

Rukia chuckled at that.

"Don't buy anything" he told her "you'll just ruin your appetite."

"Fine" she said "so, since you already know the place, any suggestions where to go next?"

Ichigo smirked.

"Yeah" he said "come, we'll go fast otherwise Yoruichi will kill us."

They didn't notice Karin taking pictures of them discreetly.

* * *

Ichigo held Rukia's hand the whole time, they went around the town with his sisters and the midget was amazed by everything, it was obvious for everyone how she was a city girl visiting the countryside for the first time. Ichigo wanted to tell her to calm down a little, but he didn't have it in him, he loved to see her smiling while looking at everything as if it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. Unfortunately her happiness was calling the attention of everyone around them.

Ichigo had already glared at least to another five boys that, for some strange reason, thought that approaching Rukia was going to be easy.

Ichigo proved them wrong at every single try.

He wasn't letting go off her hand and he was making very clear that he was not in the mood to establish a conversation with the locals, they were late for breakfast after all.

"So here it is" Ichigo said once they reached a meadow on the outskirts of town.

Rukia frowned while looking around.

The brick road had ended a few meters back and now everything was grass, they were standing in a meadow. The road kept going but in order to follow it they would have to walk to the other side of the meadow and while she had never been in a place like this she just couldn't see what was special about it, there weren't many flowers around. It was, as far as she could see, a plain and boring meadow.

"What do you want me to see exactly?" she asked him.

Ichigo rolled his eyes and put his hands inside his pockets.

"Midget, calm down" he said "we have to go across the meadow and then we'll follow the dirt road, it's the other route towards Yoruchi's house."

"Okay…?" Rukia said unsure.

"You'll find out why I brought you here once we reach the middle of the meadow" he informed her.

Karin and Yuzu were close behind them as they kept walking. The day was sunny but since it was still early morning it wasn't hot and Rukia found herself enjoying their little detour, she kept her eyes open trying to figure out what was special about the meadow and, after tripping clumsily she found out what Ichigo wanted to show her.

She gasped when she saw a cute bunny looking curiously at her and she stopped walking.

"See?" Ichigo said smugly, he knew that her bunny's obsession wasn't reserved for the ridiculous, fictitious Chappy.

Rukia kneeled down and extended her hand hoping that the bunny would come closer, although she didn't have anything to give him. Much to her surprise it worked and in a matter of seconds other rabbits appeared. There were several of different colors and Rukia wanted to hug all of them.

"Don't touch them" Ichigo warned her "they might be cute looking but these little beasts are feral, if they bite you we'll have to take you to a doctor."

"Luckily daddy is one" Karin said.

Rukia chuckled but listened to Ichigo, she didn't want to get a bite, besides the bunnies weren't coming too close, they obviously noticed how she didn't have food for them. Still, Rukia was sure that this was going to be an amazing weekend, being in the middle of a meadow, miles away from the convent and her father, while watching bunnies was something she didn't know she needed and it was all thanks to Ichigo.

Rukia looked at him and noticed how she was looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"Thank you, carrot top" she said.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head awkwardly while mumbling something about "stupid rabbits."

* * *

"So," Urahara said smiling at Isshin as Tessai was getting the bags out of the car "how's the new member of the Kurosaki family? Is everything going smoothly?"

Isshin nodded while smirking.

"She's amazing" he said and it was true, after sharing a few minutes with her it was obvious how having her with the family was the wisest decision, she got along with the twins, she was respectful and considerate, it was hard to understand why Byakuya would leave her alone inside a convent "although she's not that observant and Ichigo is a complete idiot, I still do not understand how none of them had discovered their relation to Byakuya. It's plain obvious to me."

Urahara chuckled, the mad hatter couldn't believe the situation in which those two were either.

"You should enjoy the whole thing while it lasts" he said amused.

"While it lasts?" Isshin asked curiously.

"You don't expect them to ignore everything forever, right?" Yoruichi asked while appearing behind Urahara "Ichigo is a good boy so he's probably just giving her some space before asking about her family, Rukia on her side will find out about Ichigo's work sooner or later. Until now they've just been lucky."

Isshin sighed.

"You seem worried about that" he pointed out.

Yoruichi nodded.

"Depending on how they touch the subject Rukia might run away again and Ichigo, well... he'll probably will be way too shocked to understand the whole thing" she said while sighing heavily "hopefully they won't hurt each other once they find out the whole thing."

Urahara grinned.

"They'll be okay" the mad hatter said happily "I mean, look! They don't look like friends that will hurt each other, don't you think?"

Yoruichi chuckled.

"They don't look like friends" she said smirking and then looked at Isshin "did you ever stop to consider the fact that you might establish an alliance with the Kuchiki family in the near future? Because for what I see your son won't let go off the Kuchiki heiress anytime soon."

Isshin turned around just to see Ichigo walking towards them while holding Rukia's hand. She was smiling as if she had just been given an amazing gift and Ichigo looked quite proud, the twins were talking with them and Karin looked ready to bully her brother for the rest of the weekend.

Yoruichi was right, they didn't look like friends.

They looked like a couple.

"Byakuya is going to kill him" Isshin lamented and Urahara laughed loudly.

* * *

When Ichigo heard Urahara laughing he tensed. He had forgotten, for a second, that his godfather was going to be with them the whole weekend, for some reason he thought that he would have a lot of time to show the midget around and to ignore, for a while, the bunch of responsibilities he had back at home but of course that was not possible, not when Kisuke Urahara was around.

"What is it, carrot top?" Rukia asked "you look scared."

Karin chuckled.

"You'll find out why in a few seconds" she assured her.

Rukia blinked confused when Ichigo let go off her hand and started to run in the opposite direction of the house, she was about to ask him what was wrong when she saw a blonde man wearing a hat running towards Ichigo at full speed. Rukia's eyes widened, were middle age men that fast? Or was he some kind of athlete? He was almost as fast as Ichigo. Once the weird man was next to Rukia and the twins he stopped and took off his hat, he bowed dramatically in front of them.

"Welcome to our humble cottage, ladies!" he said happily "I'm so glad to have you around, please make yourself at home!"

And with that, he was gone. Rukia didn't even have the chance to thank him but what surprised her the most was the fact that he had caught up to Ichigo and threw himself on his back.

"Get off me!" Ichigo was yelling "why do you always greet me like this?!"

"Oh, come on! It's that the way to greet your godfather?!" the man asked and Rukia understood then, that man was Yoruichi's husband.

"Let's go" Karin said while walking towards the cottage and ignoring his brother being tortured "I'm hungry."

Rukia followed her and once they reached the porch Yoruichi smiled at her.

"Welcome!" the dark skinned woman told them "I'm glad that you came."

"Thank you" Rukia said.

"Come," Yoruichi said "I'll show you around."

The cottage was gorgeous and Rukia believed that there was nothing humble about it. It was on the outskirts of town and there was a huge forest behind it, the twins loved every single part of it and, because of that, they gave Rukia a whole tour of the place along with Yoruichi. On the first floor there was a nice drawing room, in which a big man with classes greeted them. Further ahead was the living room with a classy, gorgeous looking fireplace and in the next room was the dining room, it had simple details but it was big enough for twelve people.

Rukia couldn't ignore the painting hanging in the middle of the wall.

"The Last Supper?" She couldn't help but ask aloud.

Yoruichi grinned knowingly at her.

"You have quite the eye" she praised her "we're not religious but when Kisuke saw the painting he couldn't help himself, it was quite hard to acquire."

"It's magnificent" Rukia agreed, she was sure that Ichigo's godparents didn't know about her being a novice but she decided that if the situation were to arise she wouldn't hide it from them, there was no point either way.

The tour went on towards the garden, it had a nice, looking pool in the center and Rukia admired how big the rest of the property was. At the back of the garden was a section full of rose bushes and a fence was the only thing separating the garden from the forest.

"There's a TV room on the second floor and the bedrooms" Yoruichi explained "I hope you feel at home while you're here."

"Thanks" Rukia said sincerely, she didn't know what to expect of Ichigo's godparents but this was simply magnificent. A few minutes after that, once they checked their respective rooms, a maid told them that breakfast was ready.

Ichigo approached Rukia as they stepped into the dining room. He had messy hair and an annoyed expression but once he saw Rukia he smirked at her.

"I hope you don't mind how fucking crazy my family is" he told her.

Rukia chuckled.

She wanted to tell him how his family was like a breath of fresh air for her, considering how different her own family was, but she still thought that he didn't need to know anything about her family so she simply shook her head and smiled at him.

* * *

Urahara observed the Kuchiki heiress through breakfast.

Kuchiki Rukia was seated between Ichigo and Yuzu and, just as Isshin said, her family's influence was quite obvious. Her table manners were exquisite and she behaved like a proper, young lady without any effort.

Urahara wondered, with hidden amusement, how Kuchiki Byakuya would react if he were to see his only daughter having breakfast with Yoruichi. Luckily there was no way the Kuchikis would be able to track them here, not to mention that while they also had a property near the cottage they hadn't visited in quite some time.

"Stop grinning" Ichigo told Urahara "it gives me the creeps"

"Oh, you always think so badly of me!" Urahara said dramatically "I was just thinking about my latest case!"

Isshin's eyes widened as Yoruichi, who was sitting next to Urahara, put her hand under the table to grab his thigh in a warning manner.

"Case?" Rukia asked curiously.

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he pointed at Urahara.

"Well, he's a..."

"Farm keeper" Isshin began.

"Mad scientist" Karin said.

"Candy shop owner" Yuzu added.

"... and a private detective" Ichigo said finally.

"Really?" Rukia asked surprised "that's interesting, I've never met a private detective before."

"We're not really common" Urahara agreed "although my favorite work is the farm and the candy shop."

Yoruichi rolled her eyes, every single one of his jobs was related in different ways, he just liked to be enigmatic and mysterious about it.

"What's your latest job anyway?" Karin asked.

Yuzu pouted.

"He won't tell" the blonde girl complained, she was obviously extremely curious "every time we ask he ignores our questions."

"That's called client's confidentiality" Isshin said calmly "it's for the best."

"Besides it's just about a youngster who escaped from the equivalent of a prison" Urahara said as if he was talking about the weather and Isshin choked while drinking coffee.

Yoruichi, who hadn't removed her hand from Urahara's thigh, sank her nails into it expecting him to shut up but he didn't even wince, which was impressive because Yoruichi liked to keep her nails long.

"Juvenile? Correctional?" Ichigo asked scoffing "why would you lose your time searching for someone like that?"

Rukia frowned.

"Well..." Urahara said smiling while focusing on Rukia's expressions "his family is pretty worried about him" he explained "I'm just helping them to locate him."

"They should forget about him, don't you think?" Ichigo said nonchalantly "he was in prison, he escaped, he'll end up paying for his crimes sooner or later."

Rukia glared at Ichigo.

"That's pretty judgmental, carrot top" she said disapprovingly "you don't know why he was in a juvenile prison to begin with."

Ichigo frowned at her.

"People who are there are criminals, midget" he said "he probably robbed or hurt someone, hell, we don't even know if he's a murderer."

"He might be innocent" Rukia retorted "it's not like the system is fair in most cases."

"Should I repeat myself?" Ichigo asked, his temper rising up "if he was in there is because he's a criminal, people who commits crimes end up in there, that's how life is."

Rukia raise an eyebrow at him.

"So, every institution around our country is filled with people who either belong there or choose to be there? No matter the nature of the institution?"

"Basically, yeah" Ichigo said, what was she getting at? Why was she defending a criminal?

"So, every single girl who is inside a convent is there because she choose to be there?" She asked finally and Ichigo gaped.

By this point of the conversation Karin was eating breakfast while enjoying the argument like a ping pong match, Yuzu had stopped eating as she was looking worriedly at his brother and Rukia and Isshin was looking with widened eyes their conversation.

Urahara was hiding his grin behind his coffee mug and Yoruichi was looking impressed at Rukia.

"You cannot compare a convent to a prison, Rukia."

The violet eyed girl scoffed.

"You would be surprised" she said while stabbing her food with the fork "although perhaps prisons are a little better."

Ichigo didn't miss her bitter tone.

"Let me rephrase" he said carefully "you cannot compare the people inside a prison with the people inside a convent, that's madness."

Rukia scoffed again.

"Why?" She asked angrily "what's the difference?"

"Between criminals and novices?!" Ichigo asked dumbfounded "seriously?"

"Criminals steal, nuns do too" Rukia said as a matter of fact "you would be extremely surprised if you were to step into a nun's room, they do have their share of expensive perfumes and nice furniture, most of it is paid by the offerings."

"But..."

"But if you're talking about novices and not full grown adults I can tell you, by alphabetical order, how many of my things ended up stolen in my own room."

"Fine" Ichigo said "you have a point, but we're talking about a boy who escaped from prison, his family is looking for him and..."

Rukia smirked at him and Ichigo realized then what he was saying, he was in some way describing Rukia's situation.

"You might want to rephrase that" she said amused.

"Novices at least know how to follow the law" Ichigo excused, what was he supposed to say? He couldn't understand what Rukia's point was.

"What law? The ten Commandments?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo nodded.

"Do not steal, do not kill, do not lie..." he enumerated.

Rukia crossed her arms.

"You're talking as if every single person who does that deserves to be punished" she said tilting her head.

"They don't?" Urahara asked genuinely curious.

"Well, it depends" Rukia reasoned.

"Depends on what? You're talking about criminals, Rukia! Doesn't God punish those sins?"

"He does" Rukia agreed "but it's not as if God does not take into consideration everyone's personal situation"

"Explain yourself" Ichigo said while looking straight at her eyes "you're not making any sense."

Rukia sighed.

"Well, we cannot judge, we come from a place of privilege" she began "but let's suppose that this boy that ran away from prison is poor..."

"Financial status is not an excuse" Ichigo said crossly "that's beyond ridiculous."

Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she said "let's use another example. A five year old, orphan boy who knows nothing about the world steals a wallet because he's hungry as hell, does he deserves to be judged? Do you think God will punish him?"

Ichigo frowned.

"No..." he agreed reluctantly "but children are an exception."

"But those are the children that grow up to be victims of the system" she reasoned "they grow up alone without knowing any better, they have to look for a way to survive and once they do the more privileged people" she gave Ichigo a knowing look "judge them."

"But prisons also serve as rehab centers" Ichigo said "several prisoners end up finding redemption there, although I still believe some people do not deserve it."

"I used to think the same" she admitted "but only God can judge them."

"Which proves my point that they'll end up being punished" Ichigo said without backing down "because these are the same people that spend their whole life hurting others, sinning and believe that the system failed them instead of looking for their own way out. Doesn't God praise the hard workers? The ones looking for a better life while helping others?"

"He does" Rukia agreed "but as I told you before, God is not a dictator He will not judge a..." she waved a hand around while thinking for a better example "poor girl the same way He will judge me."

"Rukia" Ichigo said frowning "you're not a criminal."

"Ichigo" she said "God is not a dictator or a control freak, He came here for the sinners and He welcomes with open arms those who confess their sins and find true regret."

"Then what about the ten Commandments?" Karin asked.

"Well, those are a basic guide" Rukia explained "but it's impossible to follow some of them point by point."

"Why?" Ichigo asked genuinely confused, wasn't that the law? What did the nuns teach her at the convent?

"It would be impossible to function in society like that" she said "let's suppose that you're planning a birthday party for Renji but it's a secret but somehow he ends up getting suspicious, would you answer honestly if he were to ask you? Would you ruin his birthday surprise just because lying is a sin?"

"No" Ichigo answered frowning "but..."

"But if you want a more extreme example" Rukia added before he could add anything else "if you kill someone in self-defense it does not count as a sin, it's basic human instinct to protect your life so if you're being attacked and end up in a situation like that, God won't punish you for defending yourself to save your own life."

Ichigo supposed that she had a point which only fed his curiosity.

"What about me?" Ichigo couldn't help to ask.

Rukia noticed how the annoyance on his eyes was replaced by genuine interest.

"What about you?" Rukia questioned confused.

"You know everything I've done" he said carelessly "won't God punish me for that sooner or later?"

Isshin exchanged a surprised look with Yoruichi, Rukia knew everything and even then she decided to stay by Ichigo's side? Isshin didn't know why he suddenly felt extremely grateful with the Kuchiki heiress.

There was a deafening silence for a few seconds. Rukia looked with widened eyes at Ichigo who smirked confidently at her.

"There's no need to look at me like that" he said "everyone in here knows about it."

"Oh" Rukia said blinking surprised a couple of times "I see, well..." she cleared her throat clearly nervous "do you really want me to use you to prove a point?"

Ichigo nodded.

"I'm curious" he said, the smirk wasn't leaving his face.

Rukia blushed slightly.

"Well, God won't punish you" she said straightforward "that's in the past."

Ichigo frowned.

"But all I did..."

"It does not matter" she said frowning back, she hated his self-hate "I do not know why you left your house but you said it yourself, you were in a bad place emotionally speaking" she sighed "you were really young, Ichigo."

"Being young does not mean..."

"Do you want to go on a self-hate rant or will you let me finish?" Rukia asked angrily and he shut up.

Yoruichi smirked at that.

"You made some mistakes" Rukia continued "but everyone does, what's important is the fact that you went back to your house, you forgave, you probably were forgiven too" she said shyly while looking sideways at Isshin who smiled kindly at her "you found true regret and you confessed your sins."

Everyone's eyes widened at this as they looked questioningly at Ichigo but he wasn't taking his eyes off Rukia's face.

"I mean, you confessed to a novice not a priest but the point remains" she said while blushing slightly "you are the exact representation of..."

"The prodigal son" Isshin said smiling and Rukia nodded while smiling back.

"Exactly" she said "you're the lost sheep that came back, God won't judge your past any longer. Look around you, you've been forgiven."

"I'm not religious..."

"You don't have to be religious to realize that you've been blessed with a beautiful family" Rukia said finally.

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Oh, sweet Ichigo" Yoruichi said with a cat like grin "is that a blush on your face?"

"Shut up!" he said annoyed and giving up on the whole thing "so, to summarize I shouldn't be a classist asshole who judges people because only God can judge us?"

"Basically" Rukia said clapping once.

"So, are you going to send this job of yours back to prison?" Ichigo asked Urahara.

"I don't think I will" Urahara said smiling.

Rukia smiled back.

* * *

"She knows" Isshin said once Ichigo and Rukia went to the garden leaving the adults behind, the twins wanted to rest a little on their room "she knows what he did and she doesn't care."

"You sound shocked" Yoruichi pointed out.

"You're not?" Isshin asked her.

"A little" she admitted "but it's just like she said, that's the past."

"I can think of several young girls that would judge the hell out of him if they were to find out" Isshin said worriedly, Ichigo's past was one of the things he thought would bring him problems once he started to date someone "and you're telling me that the girl that has been inside a convent doesn't care?"

"She's quite the jewel" Urahara agreed as he took out his cellphone "are we playing with them or not?"

Isshin frowned.

"Oh, come on!" He said "I thought we wouldn't play any matchmaking nonsense."

"Don't be a party pooper" Yoruichi told him "I agreed that we wouldn't but after that interesting breakfast I think it'll be okay to give them a little push."

Isshin sighed.

"Who is going to help you?" He asked Urahara.

"I happen to know quite a reliable boy" Urahara said as he dialed a number.

* * *

Ichigo decided that showing Rukia the farm would be fine. There were plenty of animals there and she could touch some of them so she would like it. The farm was located a little far away from the cottage but it was quite easy to get there, he was about to tell her his plans when suddenly a blonde boy stepped into the garden, jumping over the fence and walking towards them.

Ichigo frowned.

Hirako Shinji was running towards him with a huge smile, he was actually a friend of Ichigo but they hadn't seen each other in quiet some time since Shinji lived permanently in the countryside.

"Ichigo!" Shinji greeted happily "the people in town told me that you came and I couldn't believe…"

He stopped talking as he saw Rukia and Ichigo frowned deeper. Shinji's eyes widened as he smiled wider, he took off his hat and bowed dramatically in front of Rukia.

"I didn't know there was a princess visiting" Shinji said while taking her hand "oh please, sweet maiden, tell me your name."

Rukia tilted her head. The blonde, tall boy with the weird smile was pretty funny but something on Ichigo's expression was telling her that he didn't like him that much, but she just couldn't be rude and ignore him so she decided to talk to him.

"I'm Rukia" she answered amused with the weird boy's behavior.

"That's such a gorgeous name" he said while looking up at her "my name is Hirako Shinji, you can call me Shinji of course, what are you doing here?"

"Nice to meet you" Rukia said politely "I'm…"

"I invited her" Ichigo said while putting an arm around Rukia's shoulders "she's with me."

Shinji smirked while ignoring Ichigo and offering Rukia his arm.

"Is this your first time in the countryside?"

Rukia nodded as she freed herself from Ichigo's arm and grabbed Shinji's.

"Then the least I can do is to show you the farm" Shinji said and Ichigo glared at him "if you allow me I'll escort you, there are several animals there, do you like them?"

"Animals?" Rukia asked smiling "I love them, are there bunnies? Chickens? Dogs?"

Shinji nodded.

"Any farm animal you can imagine" he said while walking with her "come with me."

Ichigo decided to ignore the pang of jealousy he felt as he saw Rukia walking with Shinji and talking excitedly about the farm. So what if there were animals there? He was about to suggest the same damn thing! He just didn't have the chance! Groaning inwardly he decided to follow them, there was no use in staying behind sulking.

* * *

"Okay, it worked" Urahara said while observing everything from a safe distance "we should follow them."

Yoruichi and Isshin nodded. They both had to admit that watching Ichigo losing his cool because of jealousy was something too funny to miss.

* * *

The first part of the farm that Shinji showed Rukia were the stables. Urahara had a couple of horses and Ichigo wasn't that interested in the animals but Rukia gasped and when Ichigo realized what she was seeing his eyes widened. Shinji was also surprised so he stayed next to Ichigo.

Rukia was decisively approaching the biggest horse around.

Senbonzakura.

It was a black horse that belonged to the Kuchikis, what was the animal doing here? Ichigo didn't understand but Rukia ran towards it before he or Shinji could stop her and once she was in front of the animal she caressed the horse face.

"I think I'm in love" she said "what's his name?"

Ichigo frowned.

"Rukia, stay away from it, it's name is Senbonzakura and he's untamable" he said worriedly "he'll break your neck if he manages to escape from the stable."

"Senbonzakura" Rukia muttered "that's a gorgeous name, I don't understand why it rings a bell" she said without listening to Ichigo's warnings "can I ride him?" Rukia asked, her eyes were shining with happiness.

Ichigo paled.

"Hell no!" He said scared, he didn't dare to go any closer to the black horse, it was a menace and he couldn't understand how Rukia could feel so comfortable while touching it. Besides was Ichigo's imagination or the horse looked also happy to be with Rukia? That was odd.

Senbonzakura only obeyed and listened to the members of the Kuchiki clan.

"Oh, come on!" Rukia said while looking at the horse's face and caressing it lovingly "he's gorgeous, I would love to have one!"

Yoruichi fought the urge to scoff. She couldn't tell her how the horse, practically, belonged to her. Her father was the owner, they were just taking care of it for the time being. She didn't want Rukia to get hurt so she got out of her hiding spot and approached the teenagers along with Urahara.

"Why don't you try another one?" Shinji asked looking as scared as Ichigo "those are nicer."

The horse made an angry sound and Shinji took two steps back.

"Oh, no!" Rukia said without taking her eyes off the horse "don't listen to him, you cannot be compared to any other horse, okay?"

"Fuck" Ichigo said and then looked at Urahara "why is that dark beast in here? I thought that Bya..."

"We're taking care of it for a while" Urahara explained quickly before Ichigo could say Byakuya's name "the neighbors asked us to do it, they haven't been coming lately."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, he knew that the Kuchiki's property was bigger than Urahara's and he also knew how they paid some trustworthy employees to take care of it. Most of the employees were probably scared shitless of Senbonzakura.

Hell, he couldn't blame them.

"You'll let me ride you, won't you?" Rukia asked the horse.

"Can't she ask me that?" Shinji muttered under his breath and Ichigo looked at him enraged "don't tell me you don't want the same?" Shinji said to Ichigo.

"Shut up" Ichigo said finally while putting his hands inside his pockets, he didn't need mental images of Rukia asking him that, not at all.

"Well..." Urahara, who was still paying attention to Rukia, said "I guess you can do it, the horse looks comfortable with you."

Rukia gasped happily and Shinji paled.

"Sorry" he said while bowing slightly "but I cannot prepare that horse, it hates me and I don't want to lose my head."

"It's okay" Rukia said before anyone could suggest anything else "I don't need a saddle!"

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Are you suicidal?" He asked angrily "that beast is..."

The horse made another menacing noise and Ichigo took a couple of steps back.

"Don't insult him!" Rukia admonished him angrily "I'll ride him" she said decisively "can I?" she asked finally while looking at Urahara and Yoruichi.

"As long as you don't die" Yoruichi said and Rukia nodded.

Ichigo thought that it was a god thing that Senbonzakura had the reins on because no one dared to get any closer. Rukia opened the stable and led the horse towards the center of the property where the horse's circuit was, Ichigo observed impressed how Rukia mounted Senbonzakura smoothly.

The dress was showing her legs and Ichigo elbowed Shinji so he would stop staring, but she was hard to ignore because her white dress had a nice contrast with Senbonzakura's black color.

With one pull of the reins Rukia ordered Senbonzakura to start moving and the horse obeyed, she was smiling while riding the horse around the circuit and Ichigo fought the urge to stare too much. She was gorgeous, there were obviously several sides of her that he didn't know and he couldn't wait to ask her about this one in particular.

She circled the whole circuit two times before approaching Ichigo and stopping right next to him.

"What?" he asked her in awe, he thought she looked amazing, he couldn't stop staring at her.

"Come," she said extending her hand and smiling at him "ride with me."

"I want to live, thanks" Ichigo said while eyeing Senbonzakura fearfully.

Rukia rolled her eyes and then looked at Shinji.

"Do you want to ride with me?" she asked the blonde boy and before he could even answer Ichigo scoffed.

"Never mind" Ichigo said "give me your hand, midget."

Rukia did so and Ichigo, who was still wary around Senbonzakura, mounted behind Rukia, he steadied himself as he put his hands on her waist and she started to ride gracefully again. Ichigo found himself relaxing and enjoying the whole thing, he never imagined that he would have the chance to ride the Kuchiki's most precious horse but it was interesting, although he promised himself not to tell Byakuya how a stranger rode his horse without asking for his explicit permission.

"Midget" Ichigo said "after dinner, once all the lights are off meet me at the garden, I'll show you something cool."

Rukia smiled.

"Sure" she said without hesitation.

She couldn't wait to see what other surprises Ichigo had in store for her.

* * *

The rest of the day went in a blur, Rukia spent the rest of the day with the twins and enjoying the countryside weather while Yoruichi prepared a picnic for everyone. The rest of the afternoon was filled with laughter and games and Rukia could swear that she had ate enough sweets and fruit to not sleep the whole night, she was going to have a sugar rush at some point.

Once dinner was over Rukia was on the room she was sharing with the twins checking the pictures she had taken during the day, she was asking them which should be her profile picture.

"I took a selfie with Senbonzakura" she said while showing it to them "what do you think?"

"It's lovely!" Yuzu said while admiring the selfie in which Rukia was smiling next to the gorgeous horse.

"It's great" Karin agreed "but you should try to use one that does not call everyone's attention too much, don't you think?"

Rukia nodded.

"Yeah" she said "I don't want anyone asking me awkward questions, what about this one?"

Karin and Yuzu grabbed her phone and saw a picture of Rukia laughing while holding a strawberry on her hand, it had obviously been taken on the afternoon picnic. Rukia was sitting elegantly under the shadow of a big oak tree and there was a plate full of strawberries next to her and she was wearing her hat, she looked pretty.

"This one is perfect!" Yuzu said and Karin agreed with her sister.

Rukia ended up setting it up as her profile picture in twitter and after saying good night to the twins the lights were turned off. Rukia waited for a few minutes until she was sure that the twins were asleep, she didn't know what to expect about what Ichigo told her, what did he want to show her?

As quietly as she could and without changing her dress she left the room and walked towards the garden, there was no one around and she was thankful. If an adult were to see her she wouldn't be able to explain what she was doing in the middle of the night. She was about to reach the garden when someone grabbed her shoulder and she gasped while turning around.

"Fuck!" Rukia cursed as she realized Ichigo was behind her "you scared me!"

Ichigo chuckled, he assumed that she would take the same hallway as him to leave the cottage quietly so the chance to surprise her was too tempting to miss.

"Keep it down" he told her "follow me, I want to show you something."

Rukia nodded as they went out through the backyard, Rukia wondered if there were any security cameras around the whole place, she didn't want Ichigo's family to get the wrong idea of her, she knew that sneaking out with a boy at night could lead to some misunderstandings and she didn't want that to happen to her.

"Won't we get in trouble?" She asked apprehensively "what if someone sees us?"

"Calm down" he said while grabbing her hand and walking farther ahead, he looked excited about something "Urahara is playing poker with my father right now, probably. Either way, they are in the basement or far away from the garden, no one will notice."

Rukia nodded as he helped her to get over the fence at the back of the garden. There was nothing but a huge forest surrounding them and Ichigo, without letting go off her hand, guided her through the darkness.

* * *

"And they are gone" Urahara said while looking at Ichigo and Rukia leaving through the forest and sighing dramatically "that's quite romantic, when was the last time we went to a midnight date, Yoruichi-san?" he asked while looking at his wife.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes at him.

Isshin snorted as he saw his friend using binoculars to spy on his son and the Kuchiki heiress from the window on the second floor.

"We should've stopped them!" Isshin said while pacing around the room impatiently.

"Don't be dramatic" Yoruichi advised him "we're talking about Ichigo here, don't you trust him?"

"I do" Isshin said without hesitation "but this is not a normal situation, the girl escaped from a convent and the only romantic and intimate experience Ichigo have had his whole life was with a boy, a troublesome, lost boy. I don't want them to hurt each other."

Urahara nodded while understanding his friend's point.

"It's only wise to be worried" he agreed "but it's not as if they'll do anything irresponsible right now I mean..."

"Ichigo left a hickey on her neck just a few days back" Isshin said bluntly and Yoruichi spit the beer she was drinking.

Urahara's eyes widened.

"Uh?!" Both, Yoruichi and Urahara, asked at the same time.

"She had a hickey the day she went at the hospital" Isshin explained "after I asked her about it she assured me that it was done with consent and that she wasn't sexually active. Ichigo ended up telling me that he had done it."

Yoruichi blinked confused several times.

"Well..." she said finally "at least now you know that he's definitely not gay."

Isshin groaned.

"I'm too young to be a grandparent" he said dramatically "I just want them to go slower, is that too much to ask?!"

"Ichigo is a gentleman around her" Urahara said carelessly while showing how much faith he had in his godson "whatever pace they end up choosing it'll be the best for them, it's not like they're idiots, one or two kisses won't destroy their friendship."

"And once Byakuya finds out?" Isshin asked.

"Leave that to Rukia," Yoruichi suggested grinning "if she's anything like Hisana she'll end up throwing a tantrum and fighting with teeth and nails against her father to keep Ichigo by her side" she said proudly "Not even Kuchiki Byakuya will be able to go against her wishes."

"So, I should just spend the whole night worrying over them?" Isshin asked.

"Yeah!" Yoruichi said happily "just add beer to the mix, it'll make it easier and besides, you're talking about my goddaughter too, we'll worry together."

Isshin accepted the beer and chuckled.

He would have to trust both teenagers and pray that everything would turn out for the best.

* * *

"Had I known that you were not great at walking in uneven ground I would've look for something else to do" Ichigo said and Rukia, who was now on his back, pulled his hair a little.

"Shut up!" she said angrily "you didn't say we were going to come hiking I wouldn't have brought sandals."

"Well, we'll be there soon" Ichigo promised.

"Where exactly?" she questioned and Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Fuck, midget" he said "would it kill you to wait? It's a surprise."

Rukia sighed and kept quiet, if it was a surprise like the bunny's meadow she was looking forward to it so she decided to stop complaining. Looking up she realized how the moonlight was sneaking through the branches of the trees giving the whole forest an amazing glow, she could also see several stars, she couldn't remember seeing that many before. She knew her family had a house in the countryside, it belonged to her granddaddy, but she had never been there.

"You know" she said casually "I cannot believe I am here right now."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked while stepping carefully over the tree's roots, he had been around this place several times but the ground was tricky, he didn't want to trip with Rukia on his back.

"Well…" Rukia said while still looking at the branches and the stars above them "when I was little I lived with my family in Tokyo, I never left the mansion because daddy has always being quite overprotective but I liked it, I never complained."

Ichigo nodded to let her know he was paying attention.

"But then as I got older I had a crisis and I was taken to the hospital immediately" she told him "the doctors informed daddy that I had inherited my mom's condition and that I would have to be extra careful with my health" she sighed "daddy's overprotectiveness got worst and I started to complain about being locked inside the mansion."

"Why?" Ichigo asked.

"Because I always assumed that I would go outside by the time I was older but when I realized that I could die quite easily I understood how much I've been missing out" she explained "I didn't have friends my age, I didn't know how to ride a bicycle and I didn't know how going to school felt."

"You wanted to see the outside world before it was too late" Ichigo summarized while jumping slightly over a few tricky rocks.

"Exactly" Rukia said "but I never got the chance to go out, not even my grandparents were comfortable with me living like a normal girl, they were afraid that something might happen to me."

"That's silly" Ichigo said frowning "staying inside the house forever would've killed you in the end."

"Right?" Rukia said, she was glad he understood "but I stopped complaining, they couldn't have kept me inside the house forever so I just waited for the moment they would let me go to a normal school at least."

"But…?" Ichigo asked.

"But then something changed" she said as she hid her face on his back "one day the maid was ordered to pack some clothes for me and the next thing I knew is that I was going to be sent to the convent."

There was a silence of a few minutes and all that could be heard were Ichigo's footsteps.

"At first I thought about trying to enjoy the whole thing" she admitted after a while "but when they stopped visiting and the letters stopped arriving a whole new hell began and I swore I would escape. I begged for them in every single letter just to get me out of there and they never answered, I felt like an abandoned child."

Ichigo felt really angry at Rukia's family, he seriously couldn't understand why they would do something like that. The worst part was that he knew that deep down they weren't bad people because no one with bad feelings would've been able to raise someone like Rukia. So, what was their deal? Ichigo was really curious.

"But" Rukia said and Ichigo could tell that she was smiling "now I'm here! In the middle of nowhere while letting a boy carry me towards his secret place, if daddy could see me he would lose his…"

"Shit?" Ichigo suggested and Rukia laughed.

"Exactly" she said.

"And if the nuns and the girls at the convent could see you?"

Rukia smiled as she closed her eyes while trying to imagine their angry, jealous faces.

"Oh, they would blush angrily while saying things about how much of an indecent little girl I am!" she said chuckling.

"Well, you've been having quite an eventful time outside that place" Ichigo commented as he remembered the few things she had done "in one year you'll have several stories to brag about, but since we don't want them to find you, you'll just have to enjoy the moments they'll never be able to enjoy."

Rukia nodded.

"In a year I'll have completely forgotten the convent" she said enthusiastically "I'll be too busy being free to even think about them."

"Totally" Ichigo agreed and then he pause "we'll be still going to church in one year?" he questioned.

"Of course!" she said without hesitation and Ichigo sighed. Perhaps her religious side wasn't going to go away anytime soon but it didn't bother Ichigo, it was sort of cute and it saved her from Grimmjow trying anything funny on her and it also impressed Ichigo's family during breakfast.

After walking further ahead Ichigo heard water running and smirked.

They had arrived.

He walked a little faster and stopped abruptly when he found out his secret spot.

"This is it, midget" Ichigo said as Rukia got down of his back "this is the secret place I wanted to show you."

Rukia's eyes widened as she looked around her.

Ichigo had brought her to a waterfall, a small, wonderful waterfall that was only illuminated by the moonlight. She smiled as she took off her sandals and stepped into the water. It felt amazing, the water reached her ankles and she could tell that it was deeper a little further ahead, she really wanted to swim.

"This is a secret place?" she asked while turning to look at Ichigo.

He was taking off his tennis.

"Yeah," he answered while smirking cockily "I discovered it when I was little, I never told anyone. I think that the town's people know about it but I've never seen anyone else here and you're the first one I bring."

Rukia smiled at that and she extended her hand so he could grab it.

"It's awesome, carrot top" she said "thank you for bringing me."

Ichigo grabbed her hand so he could step into the water with her but she took him by surprise and pulled him with more strength than necessary. Ichigo's eyes widened as he fell into the water and he heard Rukia laughing, he stood up while coughing and frowned at her. Rukia was still standing in the less deep part but Ichigo decided to correct that.

"You'll pay for that" he said.

"Is that a threat?" Rukia asked and Ichigo surprised her by splashing water to her face, she closed her eyes instinctively and before she could process what was happening Ichigo took her by her waist and jumped into the deep water with her, she yelped a little as they both fell with a loud splash.

"Idiot!" Rukia said as they came out of the water.

Ichigo laughed at her surprised face.

Rukia put her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, it was deeper than she thought and it had been quite a while ever since she swam for the last time. She didn't count the convent, she always refused to use the pool there because the only time she did the girls almost drowned her.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo asked her after noticing how tightly she was holding onto him "do you know how to swim, right?"

Rukia scoffed.

"Of course I know how to swim!" she said defensively "I'm just not that good at it."

Ichigo chuckled.

"Relax, I won't let go off you" he assured her while putting his hands under her thighs to support her better.

Rukia blushed slightly as she started to regret not changing into something more comfortable, the white sundress didn't feel appropriate to swim in the middle of the night. Sighing she decided to relax, she was with Ichigo so nothing would happen. She looked up and noticed the amount of stars on the sky, she never got that kind of views in the city.

"It's gorgeous" Rukia muttered while observing the stars.

Ichigo, who was only looking at Rukia's eyes, agreed with her. She was gorgeous, inside and out, he still couldn't get over how someone like her spent three years of her life inside a convent and what he found even more unbelievable was the fact that he was the one who ended up finding her. Sometimes he felt like thanking God for that, because while he wasn't religious he got to the conclusion that only a supreme, divine force could have send Rukia to his life.

She was still holding onto him and Ichigo could feel every single curve of her body against his, the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the waterfall and Ichigo realized that he was getting lost in her eyes.

"Midget" he told her and Rukia stopped looking at the stars to look properly at him.

Their faces were only inches apart.

"Yeah?" she asked.

It was then when she noticed that Ichigo was looking at her with soft eyes and she blinked confused. She had seen Ichigo looking at her like that a couple of times before and she knew that those eyes were only reserved for her. Kurosaki Ichigo never used those eyes in public and right now, those same eyes were sending shivers down her spine.

"Remember when you said that I stole twenty percent of your virginity?" he asked her lowly.

Rukia nodded while chuckling.

"I already confessed" she told him "so I'm free of sin."

Ichigo shook his head.

"You didn't do anything" he told her "shouldn't I be the one confessing? After all it was all my fault."

"I asked for the hickey" she said "but if you do want to confess we can go to church."

"I think I'll need to confess after what I'm about to do" he said.

Rukia's heart skipped a beat as she lost herself in Ichigo's eyes, she had an idea of what he wanted to do and she wanted too. It was one of those things she was curious about, she never imagined that Ichigo would be the one suggesting it.

"May I?" he asked her and she nodded.

Rukia closed her eyes instinctively, her heart was beating frantically but she ignored it, and before she could even count to three Ichigo kissed her. She was pretty sure that this was pure bliss, the whole moment was perfect and when Ichigo started to move his lips she answered shyly, she didn't know what to do but Ichigo didn't seem to mind. His hands under her thighs tighten a little and she sighed happily.

She never imagined having a first kiss like this so she decided to enjoy the moment.

Ichigo on his side was trying to be careful, really careful. She couldn't understand what he liked so much about Rukia, she was gorgeous, considerate, smart and assertive but he didn't forget all she had gone through recently so he didn't push his luck. When she started to answer the kiss he found himself pulling her closer to him and she sighed making a little, girly sound that made Ichigo's heart skip a beat.

_God, forgive me _he thought as he bit her lower lip a little.

She gasped and Ichigo took that chance to use his tongue and, in what he thought was a blessing, she granted him access without hesitation. He was enjoying the moment a lot, she tasted wonderful and her shy movements were driving him crazy.

He couldn't remember liking someone so much, he couldn't remember a sweeter kiss or a more perfect moment.

Rukia's hands were on his hair and he wanted to keep her with him forever, he got so lost in the moment that he didn't realize that he was starting to get a little rough, it wasn't until she moaned a little that Ichigo realized what he was doing so against his wishes he ended up the kiss and put his forehead against Rukia's.

They both opened their eyes at the same time and looked at each other while breathing heavily.

Rukia was blushing and Ichigo knew they were both going to go back to the cottage with swollen lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

Rukia nodded.

"That's like fifty percent of my virginity, carrot top" she said while smiling at him.

Ichigo chuckled.

"You are really something else, crazy midget" he said.

She shrugged and then kissed his cheek sweetly.

"That was amazing" she whispered on his ear "I never expected to enjoy my first kiss that much."

Ichigo sighed happily.

"We still have some time before going back" he said and Rukia noticed that he had a hoarse voice "should we make the most out of it?" he asked.

Rukia nodded shyly and Ichigo kissed her again.

They didn't go back to the cottage until a little bit before dawn.

**GOD THAT TOOK A WHILE! (Seriously, I fought with a huge writer's block so reviews will be more appreciated than ever)**

**Thank you so much for reading this! I cannot even explain how much I struggled to get rid of the writer's block, really! I'm quite happy with that last scene and I cannot wait to read your comments about it. **

**So, for those amazing souls that keep this fanfic going by leaving me reviews, which part did you like the most? Let me know. **

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter:**

**Brunna Aprigio d: Thank you for your review, here's the update, I hope you like it! Kisses!**

**Bleach power: Oh, thank you so much for your review, I love to know how you read most of my stories, I'll be waiting for your review, tell me if you liked this chapter, okay?! Thanks again, take care!**

**XLeoX10: Thank you so much for your review! I'm so glad you liked it! I cannot wait to know what you think about this chapter, kisses! **

**Jobananasan: Your reviews light up my days! I have important things planned for grandpa Ginrei in the next chapter so stay tuned! I'm actually excited about reading your opinion on this chapter and I cannot wait for you to read the chapters to come, thanks for the support! Take care! Kisses! **

**Natsumivat: ¡Gracias por tu review! Me encanta que te guste la historia, espero que este cap también te haya entretenido ¿Qué parte te gustó más? Espero subir el próximo mucho más rápido, la verdad si me costó escribirlo. Voy a estar esperando tu review y muchas gracias otra vez por tu review. ¡Cuídate y besos!**

**Achalida: Thank you for your review, don't worry! We'll be seeing more about the Kuchikis really soon, promise! Let me know if you liked this chapter, okay?! Take care, kisses! **

**Grimmjowlover: Hi! The update is finally here! Thank you so much for your review and support! I hope that waiting for this chapter was worthy! Let me know what you think about it, okay?! Take care, kisses! **

**RukiYuki: Thank you so much for always reviewing! It means a lot to me and I cannot wait for you to read this chapter! Thanks again, take care! **

**Nejes: Thank you for your review, I hoped you enjoy the Ichiruki scenes on this one! Let me know, okay?! I'll be waiting for your review, kisses! **

**Ichirukitrash4ever: I looooved your review, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! I cannot wait to read your comments on this one! Hopefully you enjoyed it! Thanks again, take care! Kisses!**

**If I didn't mention you let me know so I can thank you properly.**

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**There are a couple of things you have to take into consideration before reading this chapter: **

**-It's SUPER important for the plot, seriously, some questions may arise but I swear everything will make sense in future chapters. **

**-There's a video call in this chapter, I tried to write all of the participants' points of view on it so I hope is not confusing, let me know what you think. **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Riruka woke up at nine on Sunday morning.

Her mother went to the supermarket to buy groceries and left breakfast ready for her, so she made her way to the dining room and got ready to eat, once she was seated she turned on her cellphone. She was sure that there would be more messages from Rukia, ever since the weekend started she had been sending her several pictures, including a selfie with a black horse.

Riruka was glad that her friend was having such a great time.

She noticed how there were two new messages from her, and Riruka opened the first one while drinking her orange juice.

**From:** _Runaway loser._

"_Hey, I changed my profile picture on twitter for this one, what do you think about it?! Let me know."_

Riruka checked the attached picture and smirked. Rukia looked like a classy, young girl eating strawberries under the shadow of a huge tree, it was a nice picture, she was about to compliment her about it when she remembered that she hadn't opened the second message.

**From:** _Runaway loser._

"_There's a gorgeous waterfall near here! Ichigo took me there in the middle of the night and I loved it. We also kissed several times, it was nice."_

Riruka spit the juice she was drinking and started to cough violently.

_Rukia and Ichigo kissed?!_ She thought alarmed _what the hell?!_

* * *

Renji yawned as he checked his phone for the first time in the morning, he had been ignoring it since a message woke him up at dawn. He didn't need to read it to know that, for some reason, Ichigo texted him at such a crazy hour. Once the sun was out and he decided to stop ignoring his best friend and opened the message.

**From:** _Orange haired idiot._

"_I kissed her, she kissed me, we kissed, am I dreaming? Am I going to hell because of this? Dude, that was the best kiss I've ever had, no kidding. I am going to skip breakfast, I cannot stop smiling and Urahara will give me hell because of that. WAKE UP, IDIOT!"_

Renji laughed hard, it was just a matter of time, who would've thought that Ichigo would make a move? Shrugging he decided to ask for the details later because he was right, Urahara was going to torture him.

* * *

Isshin knew deep inside that something had happened.

The first sign was that Ichigo tried to skip breakfast saying that he was "tired", Kisuke didn't allow it of course, the mad hatter jumped on Ichigo's bed until he agreed to get up, take a shower and have breakfast with everyone.

The second sign was that Rukia was wearing, slightly noticeable, pink lipstick. Isshin knew that it didn't belong to her, he knew that the girl didn't have make up, not only her perfect skin didn't need it but he was pretty sure that after escaping a convent the less of her worries were cosmetic products. So it obviously belonged to one of the twins and judging by their faces they knew everything that happened, Karin was smirking as if she had won the lottery and Yuzu was blushing as if she had heard something quite indecent.

Isshin didn't know how to feel about it.

The lipstick was obviously a poor attempt to hide the fact that she had been making out the whole night with his son, but it wasn't working because now Rukia was blushing under Yoruichi's knowing smirk.

"So…" Yoruichi said as everyone started to eat "how did you all sleep? Did something interesting happen last night?"

Ichigo coughed while sipping his orange juice.

"You should be more careful, carrot to" Rukia said while patting him lightly on the back.

Isshin raised an eyebrow, they were both still very comfortable with each other, even after Yoruichi's obvious teasing, there was no awkwardness between them and he couldn't believe it. What exactly happened last night? After sharing one or two kisses in the middle of the night he was expecting Rukia, the novice, to be a blushing mess while Ichigo should be avoiding the girl's gaze but none of that was happening.

It was as if nothing had changed between them.

Urahara chuckled.

"Well, I thought that all of you youngsters would spend the whole night doing something exciting, but everyone went to bed early" he said pretending to be disappointed "shouldn't you all be having wild lives? Sneaking outside to do forbidden things? You're wasting your lives!"

Ichigo scoffed.

"Yeah, sure" he said "once I sneaked out of here when I was five, you gave me hell for that!"

"You were five!" Urahara said dramatically "now it's different! In fact, you're grounded for not going out at night! You'll help me at the farm all day!"

Ichigo gaped.

"What the hell?!" he asked outraged "hell no! I have things to do! Tomorrow is a school day, we brought our stuff to do homework, right?!" he asked looking hopeful at Rukia.

She frowned at him.

"But we do not have homework for tomorrow," she said confused "I didn't bring my school stuff."

Karin and Yuzu chuckled.

"Midget," Ichigo said disappointed "you were supposed to lie."

"Oh" Rukia said and then chuckled "sorry, but lying is a sin, remember?"

Ichigo crossed his arms.

"I'm not starting another debate so let's leave it at that" he said and then looked at Urahara "I'll help you but I'm not cleaning chicken poop, not a chance."

Urahara nodded.

"Don't worry! We'll have fun!" he assured him with a huge smile "you'll feel like a renovated man by the end of the day!"

"Why? Is farm work really good for the body?" Rukia asked curiously, she had heard about how farm work was healthier than anything that could be done in the city, so she supposed that was what Urahara was talking about.

Ichigo shook his head.

"That's his way of saying that I won't be able to move a muscle tomorrow," he said, the annoyance was evident on his voice "do you realize that I still have to go to school and work, right?"

Urahara shrugged and dropped the topic. He didn't want Ichigo to start talking about his work, besides he didn't want to torture him at the farm, he just wanted him away from Rukia for a couple of hours because Yoruichi wanted to talk to the girl and that was important. He knew that Yoruichi was nervous but at the same time she was dying to talk privately to the girl. Rukia was, after all, her goddaughter.

"Talking about tomorrow…" Isshin said changing the topic "Rukia-chan, do you have plans for tomorrow after school?"

Rukia blinked.

"Not really" she answered casually "I was planning on going straight home, why?"

Isshin cleared his throat, he had been avoiding telling her what happened at the hospital but there was no way around it. Besides, judging by how the day was going he wouldn't have many chances to tell her about the blood tests, so it was now or never.

"I want to take your blood tests again" he said, he tried to sound as calm as possible but her reaction was what Isshin was expecting.

Rukia paled immediately and accidentally dropped her fork on her plate, clearly apprehensive about going near needles again.

Ichigo frowned at his father.

"Why?" Ichigo and Rukia asked at the same time.

Yoruichi's eyes widened as she realized that Rukia's hand was trembling slightly. The girl probably felt her gaze on her because she hid her hands under the table, Yoruichi noticed how Ichigo's hand moved under the table too, he was obviously comforting her by holding her hand. She wondered if her fear of needles came from going to the hospital constantly or if it had something to do with the convent although she doubted that touching the subject would do any good, the girl was obviously terrified.

Isshin scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"An intern ruined the previous ones" he admitted "I'm sorry, I…"

"An intern?" Ichigo asked upset "I thought that you were going to take care of them personally, why was an intern handling them?"

"Calm down, Ichigo" Rukia said frowning at him "let your father explain."

"Thank you, Rukia-chan" Isshin said and then sighed heavily "well, I was on my way to pick up the tests when I realized that someone else was going to the lab too. Interns are not allowed inside the lab without supervision so I got curious and followed her just to make sure that she wasn't breaking any rules."

He took a deep breath before explaining the rest.

He told them how he followed Sung-sun and how she was talking on the phone with her cousin and Senna, he explained how all they wanted to know was Rukia's last name and why she visited the hospital along with Ichigo just days before. He let aside the comments he heard about Rukia's physical appearance and how they speculated why she had gone to the hospital, Rukia didn't need to know about that. As he kept talking Ichigo was getting more upset and by the time Isshin finished telling everything Ichigo was obviously tense and angry.

"Senna, again?!" Karin asked aghast "damn, can't she just give up already?"

"Well, this time perhaps I am to blame" Rukia said sighing "I threatened her back at school, remember?"

"Yeah," Karin said "but she was following us just so she could see Ichi-nii, she's crazy!"

"She's scary too," Yuzu said "how did she know about your blood tests? That's some serious detective work."

"Or an awful coincidence" Urahara suggested, although he had to admit that it sounded as if this Senna had some serious issues and was informed about Ichigo constantly. He wondered if it would be worth it to investigate the girl, she couldn't represent a threat, right? Either way, it was better to have all the bases covered.

"I'll talk to her parents again" Isshin assured seriously.

"It seemed that it didn't work the last time" Ichigo said bitterly "perhaps I should talk to her."

Karin scoffed.

"Sure," she said sarcastically "you'll end tied up in her basement where she'll use you as a sex…"

"Karin!" Rukia and Yuzu admonished her at the same time and she chuckled.

"It's the truth! She's crazy as hell!" Karin excused herself "Ichi-nii shouldn't go near her!"

"Well, that's true" Rukia agreed "besides this time it's my fault, and I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."

"There you go again with…"

"Oh, you know it's true!" Rukia interrupted him "it's okay, I'll just take the tests again."

Ichigo could tell that she was still feeling guilty about her being used by Grimmjow and that she didn't want to take the tests again but he refrained from saying anything, there was no point. He just couldn't believe how Senna was fucking up not only his life but also Rukia's now, what was her deal? And how did she manage to find someone to help her?

"What about the intern?" Ichigo asked looking at his father "is she going to face the consequences?"

Isshin nodded.

"Of course she will," he said without hesitation "I transferred her case to the board they'll choose the appropriate punishment, although I can tell most of them will vote for her dismissal."

Rukia frowned, something about that didn't sound good to her but she didn't know if saying something would help her situation. She knew that Ichigo would simply tell her that she was being ridiculous for worrying over a girl who obviously wanted to hurt her, or just to mess up with her, so it wasn't worth it. Shaking her head she pushed the thought away and decided that she wasn't going to interfere.

"It's okay," Rukia said finally "I'll go tomorrow after school to the hospital."

Isshin nodded gratefully, the faster the better. He needed those tests, it was the only thing left to figure out how bad her condition really was.

"Well, now that that's settled and breakfast is over" Urahara said while standing up and pointing at Ichigo "I want you to run as fast as you can towards the stables! Now!"

Much to Rukia's surprise Ichigo obeyed and he seemed scared while running out of the dining room. Rukia blinked and before she could say anything Urahara followed him immediately and Rukia heard Ichigo yelling things like "I just ate! Do you want me to throw up?!" before he was out of the house.

Karin and Yuzu turned to look at his father.

"Can we go?!" Karin asked with her eyes shining "I charged my phone the whole night just for this moment!"

Isshin crossed his arms.

"The last time you uploaded it to YouTube," he said seriously "what if Kaien makes it go viral again?"

"I won't upload it this time!" Karin said and Yuzu nodded "I promise!"

"Fine, I'll go with you just to make sure" Isshin said.

Rukia was about to ask why Ichigo's torture was such a big deal for the family but the twins ran out of the dining room and Isshin followed them. She thought about following everyone but Yoruichi stood up and smiled kindly at her. Was Rukia's imagination or was she nervous? She didn't know her that well but for some reason that was the impression that she was giving.

"Well, this is the perfect opportunity" Yoruichi said "I've been dying to show you something, come with me."

Rukia smiled at her and followed her.

* * *

Yoruichi ended up taking Rukia to the master bedroom.

Rukia observed the room around her with fascination. The room had a four poster bed in the center, the bed hadn't been made but the only thing that looked messy were the several papers that were over it and there were also lots of books on the left side of the floor, while on the right side there was nothing but a bedside table. The room was big, really big, and it had a balcony that had an amazing view of the garden and the woods behind the house.

"I'm sorry for the mess" Yoruichi apologized "Kisuke likes to read at night, he always keeps his side of the bed messy."

Rukia shrugged.

"It's okay," she said "what did you want to show me?"

Yoruichi smirked as she opened the drawer on the bedside table and took out a photo album. Rukia blinked confused but Yoruichi extended her hand and told her to take a seat on the neatly made side of the bed, next to her. Rukia did so and Yoruichi sighed.

"Listen," she said, Rukia could tell that it wasn't her imagination, Yoruichi was really nervous "before I start talking I want you to know that I am, and I always be, on your side."

"My side?" Rukia couldn't help to ask, she didn't understand.

Yoruichi ran a hand through her purple hair.

"When you went to my store for the first time I recognized you immediately" she confessed while taking Rukia's hand "you almost gave me a heart attack, girl. I thought that you were…" Yoruichi gulped "well, you'll understand better after you see this."

Yoruichi handed her the photo album and she let go off Yoruichi's hand to grab it.

"Take a look at the first page" Yoruichi told her and she did so.

Rukia's eyes widened and her breath hitched when she saw the first picture. Yoruichi was laughing while hugging her mother, Kuchiki Hisana was on the picture and apparently she was having a great time with Yoruichi, they were both wearing fancy dresses and they had obviously been drinking.

"What?" Rukia asked while looking at Yoruichi with shock written all over her face "you knew my mom? You know who I am?"

Yoruichi smiled sadly at her while nodding.

"Hisana was my best friend" she said and Rukia gaped "Kuchiki Rukia, I am your godmother."

Rukia thought about several things in less than a minute, she thought about leaving the house running and fleeing to another city, she thought about begging Yoruichi not to tell anything to her father and she also thought about asking why she hid the information until now, but words were failing her and her hands were trembling so she kept quiet.

Yoruichi laughed hard after seeing Rukia's dumbfounded face.

"Rukia, relax" she said while putting an arm around her shoulders "I haven't told anyone that you're a Kuchiki, I'm not calling Byakuya and I know what happened at the convent. I told you, I'm on your side."

Rukia gulped.

"Why?" she asked "how do you know about the convent? How do I know that you're not lying?"

Yoruichi sighed.

"Well, you haven't seen Byakuya storming into the house demanding me to hand you over, right?" she asked "and besides, I promised Hisana that I would look after you."

Rukia frowned.

"Then why can't I remember you? Why I never saw you back at the mansion?" she asked.

"Because you were just a baby back then and because Byakuya-boo is a fucking idiot" she said unapologetic "Hisana brought you once here when you were a baby, I was at the hospital when you were born and I even visited the mansion quite often" she explained "but after Hisana's funeral he moved to Tokyo with you, he ignored all of my communications attempts and I didn't see you after that."

"I didn't go to the funeral" Rukia said sadly "I don't remember much but…"

"You were nothing but a child" Yoruichi interrupted her "besides, you were with her every single day, you were the joy of her life, you didn't deserve to see her in a box."

Rukia nodded while ignoring the lump on her throat.

"Daddy became really overprotective after that" she said "I never complained but it would've been nice knowing my godmother before the convent, I would've looked for you."

Yoruichi scoffed.

"Have I been allowed into your life sooner I would've murder Byakuya for even suggesting that shitty place for you" she said angrily.

"So…" Rukia cleared her throat after a few seconds of silence "do you really know everything that happened?"

Yoruichi nodded.

"After seeing you walking into my store I asked Kisuke to investigate" she admitted "I was shocked and angry, I still am" she sighed "are you okay?"

Rukia looked at her and smiled a little.

"I will be, eventually" she said with confidence "I'm not going back there, the bruises faded already and I've been having fun. I'm finally going to school…"

"A school packed with boys" Yoruichi said smirking and nudging Rukia lightly on the shoulder "for a novice you're quite daring!"

Rukia chuckled.

"So… you're on my side?" she asked finally "really?"

"Of course," Yoruichi assured her "this is what Hisana would've wanted."

Rukia nodded.

"Yeah," she agreed "had she been alive everything would've been different, I'm sure of that."

Yoruichi patted Rukia kindly on the head.

"So, this is what you wanted to tell me? That you're my godmother?" Rukia asked happily "it makes me extremely glad! I cannot wait to ask you about mom. Were you really close with her?" Rukia asked curiously.

Yoruichi nodded.

"Do you remember how shitty her family was?" Yoruichi asked.

Rukia nodded.

"I met them in really unusual circumstances" she said shuddering "I never forgot them and I also remember daddy getting completely angry whenever they would try to visit me at the mansion."

"Those bastards do not even deserve a single picture of you" Yoruichi declared angrily "well, I was born and raised in the same town as Hisana, that's how we met. We became inseparable at school and when we got old enough we decided to escape, I had money and I just couldn't leave Hisana with her so called family" she cleared her throat "she was the sister I never had."

"Was your family horrible too?" Rukia asked carefully.

Yoruichi frowned.

"Not exactly, well at least not like Hisana's" she explained "my family cared more about social and financial status than anything else and they had introduced me to possible suitors for me, I was going insane."

"I can imagine" Rukia said while remembering her father's promise about finding a husband for her.

"So, we escaped together in the middle of the night after finishing school" Yoruichi continued with a smile "Hisana was a nervous wreck! I swear I thought she was going to pass out at some point!" She chuckled "but we escaped in the end and got ourselves a nice room in a building reserved for ladies in the middle of Tokyo."

"Oh! That's where she met daddy!" Rukia said.

Yoruichi nodded.

"We got part-time jobs and enrolled in college, we were finally living like we wanted to" she said "a few years after that my family reached out to me and tried to fix things with me, so I went to have dinner with them and Hisana came with me" Yoruichi crossed her arms "I ended up talking about everything with my family, and once the dinner was over and I was leaving the restaurant along with Hisana and that's when she met Byakuya" Yoruichi told her smiling "somehow he managed to spill his drink all over her dress, she hated him in that moment!"

Rukia's eyes widened she hadn't heard that part of her parent's story.

"After that he did everything in his power to keep talking to her!" Yoruichi told her while laughing "their love story is extremely funny!"

Rukia smiled.

"I would love to hear it!" she said excitedly.

Yoruichi cleared her throat.

"Yeah, we'll have time for that" she said and then took a deep breath, they didn't have much time and she needed to tell her some important things "I also want to tell you something about your family, about Ginrei-sama."

"Granddaddy?" Rukia asked.

Yoruichi nodded.

"Yeah, Ginrei-sama has not been feeling well" she explained and Rukia's eyes widened "he has been going constantly to the doctor for check-ups and nothing bad had happened but…" Yoruichi sighed "he's been worried sick about you, girl."

Rukia felt guilty after hearing that, she loved her granddaddy.

"Do you think I should visit him?" she asked "I can't! If daddy sees me, if I get close to the mansion they'll…"

"Calm down" Yoruichi told her kindly "I wasn't going to suggest a visit, that's way too risky. In fact, I was just going to suggest a call. I have his number and my phone is untraceable."

Rukia closed her eyes while pondering her options, she didn't expect her weekend to take such a weird turn but at the same time she was happy at having someone who understood her situation. Yoruichi was trustworthy and she wasn't pressuring her to do anything, she was just suggesting a call and besides, Rukia missed her family more than anything.

Especially her granddaddy.

"You don't have to tell him anything you don't want to" Yoruichi told her.

Rukia nodded.

"Call granddaddy," she said smiling "I'll give him a piece of his mind for even daring to get sick."

* * *

Yoruichi smiled at her and took out her cellphone.

Ginrei frowned as his cellphone rang. He knew that the people that had the number were limited, extremely limited, and ever since he retired from the company several business partners would call Soujun and Byakuya instead of him, so whoever was calling had to be a close friend or family. He wasn't in the mood to talk but he knew better than to be rude and ignore a call. When he picked up his cellphone he realized that he was receiving a video call, that was extremely weird, luckily he knew how to take those. So he accepted and saw himself through the video as the call connected and once it did his eyes widened.

"_Ginrei-sama!"_ Yoruichi Shihouin greeted happily through the video call _"how are you feeling?!"_

Ginrei was surprised but looking at Yoruichi smiling at him brought him lots of good memories so he smiled back. He was glad that Soujun and Byakuya weren't at home, he was going to be able to talk peacefully without interruptions.

"Yoruichi!" Ginrei greeted kindly "to what do I owe the honor of your call?"

Yoruichi rolled her eyes, she was in a messy room with several papers behind her. She looked relaxed and her hair was tied in the usual ponytail.

"_A little bird told me you weren't feeling okay"_ she explained _"so I decided to cheer you up. Are you alone? I might share one or two indecent jokes."_

Ginrei laughed, Yoruichi was never going to change.

"I'm all alone," he assured her "my useless son and my useless grandson are running some personal errands and, apparently, the maids don't think that an old man like me is fun enough for them so they are not paying much attention to me."

"_Oh, how wrong they are"_ Yoruichi said scoffing _"although that's for the best, imagine if one of those maids tries to get inside your bed? What would a handsome, defenseless grandpa like you do?!"_

Ginrei couldn't stop smiling, talking with Yoruichi always had that effect on him. She was like breathing fresh air, he used to love see her teasing Hisana and getting on Byakuya's nerves, those were the golden old days.

"How have you been? How is Kisuke? Business is booming as usual?" Ginrei asked and Yoruichi waved a hand.

"_Business is booming,"_ she agreed _"but our bed is filled with books and papers, by this point I think he married me just because I don't give him hell about loving his work more than sex." _

Ginrei shook his head.

"It's good to know you haven't changed," he said smiling "and I don't mean to be rude but I'm extremely curious, did you really call just to cheer me up?"

"_Of course!"_ Yoruichi said offended _"although I'm not the one who's going to cheer you up, is someone else."_

Ginrei frowned.

"I am unable to think about someone who would brighten my day more than you right now" he told her.

Yoruichi smirked devilishly and Ginrei tilted his head confused. That smile only meant trouble, or that Yoruichi was about to prove him wrong, either way he couldn't wait to find out what Yoruichi wanted to show him.

"_You're so wrong"_ Yoruichi told him and without prior notice she changed her camera angle.

* * *

Rukia allowed Yoruichi to put an arm around her shoulders so they could both watch the camera. Rukia's heart skipped a beat as she saw her granddaddy, she smiled at him although for a second she felt like crying, she really missed him. Rukia observed how Ginrei gaped at the sight of her, he was really shocked.

"Hi granddaddy," Rukia said weakly "how are you feeling?"

* * *

Ginrei couldn't hide his surprise and for a second he thought about yelling at Rukia and demanding answers. He wanted to ask her how she found Yoruichi, he wanted to ask her why she kept avoiding them, he wanted to ask her what she was thinking about forgetting her medicine at the convent and he wanted to ask Yoruichi their exact location but he knew that it wouldn't do any good. Besides, all of those things weren't important, the only thing that Ginrei found relevant was that Rukia was fine.

He didn't notice he was crying until some tears fell down his cheeks.

"_Grandaddy,"_ Rukia said with sad eyes _"why are you crying? Are you sick?"_

Ginrei shook his head.

"I'm sorry" he said chuckling "I'm just so relieved that you're okay, so relieved."

Ginrei observed how Rukia's eyes watered.

"_I'm sorry"_ she said _"I know I've been worrying you but…"_ she cleared her throat _"why are you in bed? I heard you weren't feeling okay and I didn't believe it! You have more life and energy than any other man I know! Grandpa Soujun used to say that you were going to outlive all of us!"_

Ginrei shook his head chuckling.

"This is nothing" he assured her "I just needed to rest for a while, looking at you is making me feel better actually. How's your health? Are you eating well?"

"_I'm fine,"_ he told him _"I haven't had crisis and I'm surrounded by amazing people, everyone's been kind with me."_

Ginrei thought that it was a long shot but he couldn't help to ask.

"Where are you living?" he asked suddenly "who is helping you?"

* * *

Rukia bit her bottom lip. She knew that he would eventually ask her something like that but there was no way in hell she was going to answer, she was relieved to find out that he wasn't seriously ill but she refused to keep talking to him if all he wanted to know was her location to take her back to that hellish place.

Yoruichi felt how Rukia tensed up after that question and she gulped, the girl was ready to leave the room at the minimal provocation, those weren't good news.

"I'm glad that you're okay, grandpa" Rukia said lowly while standing up and Yoruichi's eyes widened "I just called to let you know that I'm okay but…"

"_Rukia, wait!"_ Ginrei said.

"Let's calm down" Yoruichi said while grabbing Rukia's hand strong enough to prevent her from leaving the room "Ginrei-sama won't ask more of those questions so let's keep talking for a while, okay? Sit down, please."

It took Rukia five seconds to obey and once she did so Ginrei sighed.

* * *

Ginrei realized then, he would've to be extremely cautious otherwise Rukia would stop talking to him at once, he didn't want that.

"I'm sorry" he said kindly "calm down, please."

Rukia simply nodded and Ginrei thought quickly about which subject he could touch. Sighing he looked at his side and smiled at her sketchbook.

"You know," Ginrei said "I've been admiring your artwork these past days, you never stopped drawing the rabbits" he help up the sketchbook and Rukia smiled at him "I really like your drawings."

"_Thanks, granddaddy"_ she said _"you were the only one that actually admired my work, Grandpa Soujun never praised me." _

Ginrei noticed how she was avoiding talking about Byakuya, she was either extremely resentful towards him or she wasn't ready to even hear her own father's name. Ginrei didn't know how but he needed to let her know that Byakuya loved her and that everything was a horrible mistake.

"Don't say that" he said "Byakuya also loved them, he still keeps some of them on his desk."

Rukia scoffed.

"_Well, apparently he stopped loving them because he ignored all of the letters I sent with drawings"_ she said bitterly _"he also ignored all of my cries for leaving the convent, quite convenient, uh?" _

Ginrei sighed, Byakuya wasn't a safe topic to touch if they wanted to keep the conversation going smoothly. This was becoming way too difficult but he needed to make Rukia listen.

"Rukia," Ginrei said finally "I know this is hard for you but I want you to know a few things" he took a deep breath "we're all worried sick about you, including Byakuya, we want to bring you home and we're not planning on sending you back to the convent, Rukia you're the most important person in our lives."

* * *

Rukia cleared her throat, that sounded way too good to be true.

"So…" she said cautiously "there's not a husband chosen by father waiting for me at the mansion?"

Yoruichi gaped.

"What?" Yoruichi asked outraged "hell no! Who told her that?!"

Ginrei sighed.

_"It was a lie told by Byakuya to justify the years inside the convent"_ he explained _"I feel the need to kill him every single day I remember."_

"Byakuya-boo really lost his shit, didn't he?"

"But if it's a lie" Rukia said "why did you all leave me there? Why didn't you visit the whole last year?"

_"I..."_ Ginrei started to say but after a few seconds he shook his head _"I think it's better if Byakuya does the explaining."_

Rukia frowned.

"I'm not planning on talking to daddy anytime soon" she said determined "and I love you and I miss you but I want to keep enjoying this freedom for a while more."

* * *

Ginrei had to remind himself that Rukia was fifteen and that she had just escaped a very restrictive place, not to mention that she had always been carefree and adventurous, so forcing her to come back would be like cutting her wings, Ginrei didn't want to do that.

"Do you realize that sooner or later you'll have to face us, right?" Ginrei asked "not only to give explanations but also to receive them."

Rukia nodded.

_"I'm not an idiot"_ she said pouting.

"I wasn't suggesting that" Ginrei said calmly "but we're family and Byakuya is your father, he might not show it but you're breaking his heart by rejecting his attempts at talking to you."

_"Well, he broke mine"_ Rukia retorted _"did he even look at the letters?!"_

Ginrei sighed, he couldn't tell her why they ignored the letters, not yet. So he decided to make a deal with her, he could tell that she wasn't staying with Yoruichi otherwise she wouldn't have called him. Ginrei remembered how she told them that a boy was helping her, he needed information but he also needed to be in Rukia's good graces so he didn't have another choice.

"If I agree with this, will you consider the idea of approaching us? Will you, once you're ready, talk to us? We do owe you explanations and we're going crazy without knowing where you are or with whom."

_"If I agree with what exactly?"_ Rukia asked confused.

"With you being "free" for a while more" he explained "it goes against my better judgement and right now I'm fighting the urge to send our security team to all of Yoruichi's properties."

Yoruichi laughed, she obviously found that idea extremely funny.

_"So, if I promise to talk to you sooner or later you'll convince daddy and grandpa to stop looking for me? Won't they become way too suspicious?" _

Ginrei shook his head.

"I cannot convince them to stop looking, they will never stop" he said "but I can delay the search, I can send them in your opposite direction and I can pretend to look for you while they are busy with work."

_"In exchange of me agreeing to talk to all of you at some point?" _

"And in exchange of you telling me about the boy who's helping you" he said and noticed how Rukia's eyes widened "you can leave aside his name and where he lives, but I need to make sure that you're not being used."

Rukia nodded as she crossed her arms. Ginrei was sure that she was thinking about what to tell him without letting him know big clues, she was extremely smart and judging by her smile she was having a great time, why couldn't the girl simply come back home and have the same great time under his protection?

_"He's..."_ Rukia started as she cleared her throat _"amazing, actually. He found me the same night I escaped from the convent, he has a job and goes to a prestigious school. He hasn't asked for anything in return of helping me, he introduced me to his family and they accepted me with open arms, no one knows my last name."_

Ginrei frowned, just as he thought there wasn't enough information for him.

"Anything else?" He asked curiously.

* * *

Rukia had a sudden flashback of the kisses she shared with Ichigo the night before, she thought about the way he held her and how amazing she felt back then. She blushed prettily and smiled fondly before answering.

"I like him a lot"

* * *

Ginrei faked a smile at Rukia, he didn't like how she was smiling while thinking about the boy. She was getting too fond of him and judging by what she was saying he wasn't going to let her go for the time being, there was no mistake, Rukia was falling for whoever was helping her.

Ginrei didn't know if it was mutual, hell he was expecting it wasn't, if that boy somehow ended up breaking her heart she would be forced to come running home and while it sounded horrible, the prospect of Rukia coming back home, heartbroken and tearful was better than the prospect of her falling in love and deciding that she didn't need her family anymore.

Ginrei was extremely glad that Yoruichi was keeping an eye on Rukia, that meant that the boy was trustworthy otherwise Yoruichi would've taken Rukia with her. Still, would he be able to find out the boy's identity through Yoruichi or would he have to investigate on his own?

_"Granddaddy,"_ Rukia said interrupting his thoughts _"what about grandpa? I don't want to make him worry too much too, are you going to tell him about this?"_

Ginrei sighed, at first he thought about telling Soujun but after seeing Rukia blushing and smiling at the thought of a boy he decided against it.

"No, I won't tell him."

_"Why?"_ Rukia asked curiously.

"Well, he would've supported us, but if he finds out how much you appreciate this boy of yours he might be a little bit..."

_"Jealous?"_ Yoruichi suggested with a smirk.

Ginrei nodded.

"Yeah, when you told us how a boy was helping you he got a little bit... mad" he explained "it's better if we wait a little bit."

Rukia scoffed.

_"Why would grandpa be jealous? A friend is helping me,"_ she reasoned _"shouldn't he be thankful for that?"_

Ginrei raised an eyebrow at her.

_"What?"_ Rukia asked.

"Can you swear to me that you haven't shared something quite intimate with this boy?"

Rukia gaped and Yoruichi laughed.

_"Grandpa!"_ Rukia said blushing _"I'm still a novice! A virgin! Remember?!"_

Ginrei almost thanked God for that.

"I'm glad," he said "so you haven't kissed him either?"

Rukia blushed deeper and looked at the ceiling, Ginrei could swear that by this point Yoruichi's laughter could be heard all over the place.

_"Can we change the topic?" _Rukia asked.

Ginrei nodded.

"Yes, please" he said, just like Soujun he didn't like the thought of Rukia on the arms of some hormonal boy, she was their child so that was hard to imagine "in fact, there's something I want to ask you."

Rukia nodded.

_"Go ahead"_ she said.

"Do you have money?" Ginrei asked and Rukia blushed.

_"I have enough for a few days more"_ she admitted _"I was thinking about getting a part-time job so..."_

"No" Ginrei and Yoruichi said at the same time.

_"But..."_ Rukia tried to say but Ginrei interrupted her.

"Rukia, listen" he said "I understand that you want to be independent, sort of, but I don't like the idea of you working, I mean some youngsters do it but, didn't you say you want to enjoy your freedom a little bit more?"

_"Well, I still have mom's card"_ Rukia said _"but something tells me that daddy can track it."_

"Yeah, he can" Ginrei agreed and then sighed.

_"I can help you"_ Yoruichi said to Rukia _"it's no big deal, I can cover all of your expenses..."_

_"Thank you,"_ Rukia said _"but I don't think it's right..."_

_"I'm your godmother!"_ Yoruichi reasoned.

_"Yes, but I still think that I would be abusing your kindness"_ Rukia explained _"besides I don't need much..."_

"There's no need for you to worry about money" Ginrei said sternly "the fact that you, of all people, are thinking about getting a job is ludicrous, I will not accept that. Therefore I'll help you."

_"But..." _

"I won't let Byakuya or Soujun find out about this" Ginrei said "I'll send you one of my cards to Yoruichi's store, she can give it to you so you don't have to worry about us locating you."

_"Would you really do that? Won't daddy track your card?"_ Rukia asked.

"Rukia, you're my only granddaughter" Ginrei said "I love you and, while I still have my doubts about you living with strangers, I want to be able to be there for you one way or another" he said "and no, Byakuya does not track my finances, I did not spend my whole youth and adulthood building the company so my grandson could control what I do with my money."

_"Is it really okay?"_ Rukia asked unsure.

_"Girl,"_ Yoruichi said rolling her eyes _"you're literally the only heiress of the whole clan, let your granddaddy spoil you rotten."_

Ginrei nodded.

"Yoruichi is right" he said "this is your money, Rukia. I'm basically just saving it for you."

_"Then I accept"_ Rukia said smiling _"thank you, granddaddy."_

Ginrei smiled back.

"Don't mention it," he said "use the card without reservations, I'll make sure to check that it has enough money every week."

Rukia nodded.

"Also" Ginrei added "be sure not to tell about the card to anyone, if it goes missing you don't want to suspect about any of your friends and since they do not know your last name it'll be better for you, otherwise they'll ask too many questions."

_"I'll follow your advice"_ Rukia promised.

"Now, may I ask for something in return?"

Rukia crossed her arms and nodded.

"Would you call me at least two times every week? Just to make sure that you're okay?"

Rukia smiled.

_"I will, I promise"_ she said happily _"I have a cellphone actually, so I'll also write to you, as long as daddy doesn't find out."_

"I'll set up a password for my phone, just in case" Ginrei said "I'll be waiting for your bunny drawings."

* * *

"I really miss you, you know?" Rukia said "I thought I would die inside the convent without seeing you again."

_"Don't make me cry, child"_ Ginrei said _"I'll never forgive myself for not visiting you and getting you out of there"_ he paused as if he remembered something _"I know you hated the place but, did they treat you well? Were they nice to you?"_

Yoruichi felt how Rukia tensed up and wondered if she would tell him the truth, she was praying that she would, if the Kuchikis were to find out then justice would be served.

Rukia gulped, she wanted to tell him everything, she wanted to tell him how many days and nights she starved, how much the bruises hurt and about the basement, but seeing him on bed while being worried sick about her made her think twice.

She couldn't tell him, it would break his heart and she didn't want to hurt him.

"Talking about the convent is not worth it" Rukia said finally "I'm outside now and I'm talking to you! Don't you feel happy?!"

Yoruichi frowned, she wasn't going to talk.

_"Of course I am" _Ginrei said smiling _"although I would be happier if I could hug you."_

Rukia sighed.

"Give me time, granddaddy" she said "I... I don't want to risk daddy finding me, something tells me he will send me to that place again."

_"He won't,"_ Ginrei said _"why are you doubting your father so much? He loves you, Rukia."_

Rukia frowned.

"He abandoned me there" she said and then remembered the day her father visited the school, she remembered how he implied that he would send her back "and... I cannot tell how I know this but he sort of admitted that he might send me back, I heard it from a reliable source."

Ginrei frowned.

_"That source is not reliable at all"_ he said _"but even if that stupid idea were to cross his head I would stop it, I won't allow him to send you away from home, you have my word."_

"I also remember how he wouldn't look at me as I grew up," Rukia continued bitterly "I always assumed that he didn't like how much I look like mom, I was like a painful reminder of the love he lost."

There was a deafening silence of a few seconds in which Rukia avoided Ginrei's gaze. She had never shared that theory of hers with him but she always believed that, sometimes it was even hard for her to look in the mirror so she supposed that it was the same for her father.

"I don't think that's the case..." Yoruichi said carefully "I mean..."

_"Father! We have some amazing news!"_ Someone yelled and Rukia and Ginrei's eyes widened when they recognized Soujun's voice.

_"I have to go"_ Ginrei said _"they are back, I'll send the card, let me know once you have it."_

"I love you! I miss you!" Rukia said.

_"I love you too"_ Ginrei said quietly _"and I miss you terribly every, single day."_

The call disconnected and Rukia hid her face on Yoruichi's shoulder. Her granddaddy was fine and he was on her side, they still had a lot to talk but for now it was enough, she couldn't believe how much she missed him, she was dying to run to the mansion and hug him but for now it wasn't possible. Thinking about Ginrei, Soujun and Byakuya she started to cry.

"It's okay," Yoruichi assured her "take your time, let it out."

* * *

Ginrei put his cellphone on his bedside table and sighed, he closed his eyes and ignored the couple of tears that ran down his cheeks. Rukia was safe and sound, Yoruichi was keeping an eye on her and for now that was enough. He made his way downstairs towards the studio and his eyes widened when he noticed the amount of documents that were on the desk.

"What's all this?" Ginrei couldn't help to ask.

Soujun smiled at him as Byakuya started to arrange every single folder in different sections.

"I came up with an amazing plan to lure Rukia out of her hideout" Soujun explained as he handed Ginrei a pink sheet.

Ginrei's eyes widened as he read.

_**"Chappy convention! The biggest one in Karakura!"**_

Soujun smiled proudly.

"We offered one of the company's buildings and we're calling all of the Chappy branches to participate" he explained "free original merchandise, plushies, purses and all of that stuff will be available. The next week, once all of the girls who are obsessed with the rabbit show up to the event, we will be there with our security team to find Rukia and bring her home."

Ginrei gaped.

"Do you think she'll go?" Ginrei asked.

"She will," Byakuya said without taking his eyes off the documents "there's no way Rukia will ignore an event like this."

Ginrei nodded as he wondered if he would be able to persuade Rukia not to go.

* * *

"I was thinking" Yoruichi said while walking with Rukia in the garden "tomorrow come straight to the store after school, I'll go to the hospital with you."

Rukia smiled, it took her a while to calm down after the call with Ginrei but she was fine now so they decided to go and enjoy Ichigo's torture at the hands of Urahara.

"Thank you!" She said sincerely "having you there will help me, a lot"

"I noticed your reaction at breakfast," Yoruichi commented "are you afraid of hospitals?"

Rukia shook her head.

"I'm afraid of needles" she explained "I was apprehensive towards them when I was little but once I was inside the convent the nurse..." she gulped "she wasn't that nice."

Yoruichi put an arm around her shoulders as they kept walking.

"I don't mean to pressure you" she said "but I think you should tell Ginrei-sama about what they did to you, they need to be hold accountable."

Rukia sighed.

"I wanted to tell him" she admitted "but I don't want to hurt him and you heard him, he already feels guilty."

Yoruichi sighed.

"Well," she said finally "you have all the time in the world."

"Thank you" Rukia said "having someone who knows everything is reassuring, having a godmother feels nice."

"Don't hesitate to come to me for help" Yoruichi told her "I'll keep your secrets, every single one of them" she promised smirking devilishly "I'll never tell your overprotective grandparents and father how you escaped at midnight to kiss a boy in the middle of the forest."

Rukia gasped while blushing madly and Yoruichi laughed.

"That idiot!" Rukia said "he assured me that no one would notice!"

Yoruichi laughed.

"Kisuke is a private detective, what the hell did you expect?!"

"Should I apologize?!" Rukia asked "I never meant to disrespect your house or to abuse your trust and..."

"Girl, calm down" Yoruichi said "stop being so uptight, as long as he didn't pressure you and as long as it was just a few kisses you're not in trouble."

Rukia sighed.

"I liked it," she said smiling shyly "although I never expected to have my first kiss a few days after leaving the convent."

Yoruichi smiled.

"Well, you chose a nice boy" she praised "does he treat you with respect? He's my godson but I'll beat his ass if he hurts you."

"He's being extremely nice to me" Rukia said smiling "sometimes I think he's an idiot, he doesn't know who I am and he already introduced me to his family, isn't he too trusting?"

"He has this hero complex" Yoruichi said "but I'm glad you found each other."

Rukia smiled and then she realized that they were now reaching the farm area, she could hear Karin and Yuzu laughing and she wondered what was happening. It wasn't until she was standing next to the twins that she realized what the whole deal was.

Ichigo, the same boy that looked like a criminal and had badass tendencies was running away from a cow and he was shirtless. Rukia chuckled at his horrified face as the enraged cow kept following him around the place, there was mud on the floor and it was obvious how Ichigo was struggling to keep running.

"Well," Yoruichi whispered playfully on her ear "did your midnight swim include a lot of touching? Is a novice supposed to let muscly guys like this to touch her?"

Rukia gaped as she observed Ichigo's toned arms and broad chest, he was definitely muscly, she blushed as she remembered how close they were last night and how much she enjoyed his body against hers. She thought that perhaps Ichigo felt her gaze on him because he turned to look at her and she blushed, much to everyone's surprise he blushed too.

"Don't get distracted!" Urahara yelled while smiling but it was too late.

The cow managed to get a hold of Ichigo and bit his rear angrily.

Rukia, Karin and Yuzu winced as Ichigo cursed out loud, Isshin and Urahara laughed.

"You should start coming every weekend" Yoruichi told Rukia as she took a picture of the moment with her cellphone "this has been quite the interesting weekend."

Rukia laughed as she agreed with her.

This had been the best weekend of her life.

* * *

Riruka was falling asleep in front of the TV when the most amazing news she could've expected were announced.

_"Can you repeat this new information to us?!"_ A reporter said.

_"Yeah!"_ A young boy, wearing rabbit ears, said enthusiastically _"we're calling to all the young girls around Karakura! A very generous, and anonymous, benefactor just lent us their building and resources to create the Chappy Convention!"_

Riruka sat up immediately and got closer to the TV.

_"What can we expect about this convention?!"_ The reporter asked.

_"Lots of free, original merchandise"_ the boy said _"plushies and purses, everything you can imagine! You might even have the chance to meet the benefactors of the whole event who will give one lucky winner a ticket to Chappyland!"_

Riruka gasped as she texted Rukia.

There was no way in hell that they were going to miss this opportunity.

* * *

**I liked this chapter, I love the Kuchikis, what about you? **

**So, I'm so happy about how everyone enjoyed the kiss! There are more of those to come so stay tuned! And for those who are worried about them, don't be. They'll discuss the kiss in the chapters to come, I'm quite excited about the next one. The high school scenes come back and… perhaps Senna will talk with Rukia?! WHO KNOWS?! **

**Joking, you'll find out soon! **

**Now, to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter: **

**andy cma: Thank you, your review means a lot to me, let me know if you enjoyed this chapter! Okay?! Kisses! **

**Brunna Aprigio d: Thank you! I actually have the whole story planned out so don't worry, I won't abandon it! Let me know what you think about this chapter, take care! **

**Natsumivat: ¡Me encanta que te haya encantado el capítulo! Gracias por tu review, te prometí que iban a haber más escenas así jajajaja. Déjame saber si este cap te gusto igual y espero leer tus comentarios, prometo mucho más ichiruki en los siguientes, cuídate mucho. ¡Besos!**

**FicsXd: Muchas gracias por tu review, me alegra que te haya gustado el capítulo. La verdad tenía mucho miedo de que el capítulo anterior fuera demasiado largo pero no pude cortarlo, me alegra que haya valido la pena. Déjame saber qué piensas de este, cuídate y besos. **

**Achalida: Thank you for your review! I'm so happy you enjoyed the kiss scene, I tried to make it really romantic hahaha. Let me know what you think about this chapter, okay?! I'll be waiting for your review, kisses! **

**Queen of Ice and Shadows: I loved your reaction! Thank you so much for your review! Don't worry you won't have to wait so much for them to get a little bit more… intimate. Grimmjow comes back in the next chapter, I promise! Let me know if you liked this chapter, kisses! **

**RukiYuki: I'm so glad the update made you happy! I love your reviews and I can't wait to read your reaction about this one! Love you, take care! **

**Jobananasan: As always your reviews make me smile! I love them! Isshin knows about the prostitutes but he doesn't consider those romantic experiences, I'll also explain that in the chapters to come! There's still a lot to unpack! I can't wait for you to read the chapters to come and I'm dying to read what you think about this chapter! Let me know if you liked it, okay?! Take care, kisses! **

**Nejes: A hot and nice kissing session! Hahaha! Thank you for your review! Let me know if you liked this chapter, okay?! Kisses, take care! **

**Ichirukitrash4ever: Thank you so much for your review! I smiled when you wrote how happy the update made you! I tried to make the kiss lowkey hot and for what you wrote I guess I succeeded! Let me know if you also liked this chapter, okay?! Thanks again, kisses! **

**Your reviews are what keeps the story going so keep them coming! Thanks again!**

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Before you read I want to let you know that I'm writing a prequel of this fanfic! And I already uploaded the first chapter, it's called "Expecting unexpectedly" and it's on my profile, check it out and let me know what you think! **

**Happy reading! **

**Chapter 16**

* * *

"Kurosaki" Ishida Uryuu, a skinny boy with glasses, said "stop sulking."

Renji chuckled.

"Dude, Ishida is right" he said "we'll be late for class."

Ichigo frowned as he kept locking himself at one of the bathroom stalls. He wasn't going to go to class, he wasn't in the mood and besides Rukia was in the classroom. How was he supposed to focus when all he could think about was their kiss? Her sweet lips, her shy movements, her curves...

Ichigo groaned loudly while covering his face with his hands.

"I want to kill myself" Ichigo declared "nothing makes sense anymore."

Uryuu frowned and Renji laughed loudly.

"What happened?" Uryuu asked "the last time you talked to me about your problems you babbled the whole time about how you needed my skincare routine."

"Fuck, Ishida" Ichigo said angrily "I was having acne problems, shut up!"

Renji sighed.

"Ichigo" the redhead said "you cannot hide in here the whole day, you have to face your problems..."

"What problem is this one?" Ishida asked "why did you call me?"

"It's a girl problem" Renji declared extremely amused.

Uryuu scoffed.

"Do you want to take an STD test?" He asked "I can ask father to be discreet but when I offered last year you told me your dad was taking care of those."

Renji laughed harder and Ichigo opened the stall door and threw toilet paper at his head.

"I'm clean," Ichigo said seriously "and I haven't done anything with anyone ever since I went back home so no, that's not my problem."

Ishida nodded, between their groups of friends he was one of the few he knew about Ichigo's past. It happened out of the blue, Ichigo was feeling down and Uryuu was the only one who was there to talk. That day the bespectacled boy swore secrecy and a new friendship was born.

"Then what's the problem?" Uryuu asked.

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair clearly frustrated.

"I kissed Rukia" Ichigo said frowning.

Uryuu shook his head.

"I fail to see the problem" he said "she looks very close to you, why are you sulking?"

Ichigo sighed.

"I thought it was wonderful" he said and Renji chuckled at his dramatic antics "we were swimming, it was late at night I mean... it was romantic! Any normal girl would be thrilled, right?! Right?!"

"Well..." Uryuu tried to say but Ichigo wasn't stopping.

"I thought she had felt the same! I thought that I wasn't the only one who felt like he was in heaven" Ichigo continued "she even let me use my tongue..."

"Okay, I'm going to stop you there" Uryuu said covering his ears "I seriously don't need to know the details."

"But the next day when I told her we should talk about it she..." Ichigo took a deep breath.

"She told you she didn't like it?" Uryuu suggested.

Ichigo shook his head.

"Then?" Uryuu insisted.

"Here's what happened..." Ichigo said.

_They were getting ready to leave the cottage, Rukia was helping Ichigo to pack his things because he was still in pain. He had never been bitten by a cow, he was pretty sure that he was going to be traumatized forever_.

_"Are you okay?" Rukia asked him while handing him his backpack, she was smiling and Ichigo didn't know if she was happy because he was suffering or because she had enjoyed the whole weekend, probably both. _

"_I'm…" Ichigo said while sighing "let's promise to never talk about this, luckily Karin promised not to upload the video." _

"_Yoruichi will send me the picture" Rukia said, her eyes were glinting with amusement "I'll treasure it forever."_

_Ichigo rolled his eyes._

"_You disappeared for a while with her, what did you two talk about?" _

_Rukia shrugged._

"_She's pretty awesome to have around," she commented while looking away "she showed me the cottage and some of her…" she made a pause "stuff." _

_Ichigo sighed, he supposed that Yoruichi took a liking to Rukia because, while he didn't know all the details, he knew that Yoruichi had some things in common with her, like being a rich girl running away from home. They probably got along because of that and, adding things to the mix, she was the first girl Ichigo had introduced to Yoruichi, she was probably curious about it too. _

"_She didn't torture you with questions, right?" _

_Rukia chuckled._

"_Of course not!" she said "although I think I should let you know, they noticed that we were gone most of the night."_

_Ichigo groaned._

"_Fuck! I knew Urahara wasn't torturing for no fucking reason!" he said as Rukia laughed. _

_Ichigo was really glad about the fact that, even after their make out session, nothing had changed between them. He was worried about taking things too fast and ruining whatever they had between them, he wanted to keep enjoying Rukia's company but he was also aware that they needed to talk about what happened, he couldn't be the asshole that would go around kissing girls without explanations. _

"_Hey, midget" he said "do you…" he gulped "do you want to talk about it?" _

_Rukia blinked clearly confused._

"_About what?" _

"_Our kiss?" Ichigo said unsure._

"_Kisses, you mean" Rukia corrected while smirking. _

_Ichigo couldn't believe that she was making him blush._

"_Yeah, right" he cleared his throat "I don't want you to think that I'm taking advantage of you, I mean it was awesome but you know that I'm…" _

_Rukia placed her hand over Ichigo's mouth to shut him up. Ichigo noticed how the smile never left her face, if anything she looked… happy? He didn't know what she was thinking. _

"_Ichigo, don't worry" she told him "if anything it was me taking advantage of you, I mean I got you into the whole mess my life is." _

_Ichigo blinked, what did she mean by that? He removed her hand from his mouth and looked at her with a puzzled expression._

"_What do you mean?" he asked her._

"_Well," Rukia said "I assumed that, since you're such a great friend, you took to heart my request of you teaching me how to live like a normal girl and you, being the nice friend you are, found the perfect chance last night to show me how amazing the first kiss can be."_

_Ichigo was even more confused so he kept quiet. _

"_Thank you, carrot top" she said while standing on her tiptoes and giving him a peck on the lips "thank you for your friendly gestures, you're the best." _

_Ichigo gaped. _

"_We're leaving!" Isshin yelled from downstairs and Rukia left the room leaving a dumbfounded Ichigo behind. _

"She thanked me for that friendly gesture" Ichigo said and he sounded like he was in pain "she thought it was just a friendly gesture, as friends, just friends."

Uryuu and Renji started to laugh and Ichigo blushed.

"Stop laughing!" He said embarrassed.

"Kurosaki!" Uryuu said between laughs "I can't believe this!"

"Shut up!" Ichigo said "I called you because you are the only one who has a girlfriend! Did something like this ever happened to you?! What am I supposed to do?!"

Uryuu shook his head.

"I won't make fun of you anymore, we're late to class" he said "but as far as I can tell you have two choices, you tell her that it meant more than a friendly gesture to you or..."

"Or?" Ichigo asked.

"Or you move on with your life pretending it was just a friendly gesture."

Ichigo frowned.

"Those options suck," he said "how did you manage to get a girlfriend like this?"

Uryuu rolled his eyes.

"Answer me something" he said seriously "what would happen if you were to tell her that it meant more to you? Would she reciprocate your feelings?"

Ichigo thought about it for a second, they had met just a few weeks ago and in completely unique circumstances. It was too soon to talk about feelings and while Ichigo was sure that there was mutual, physical attraction he wasn't sure about the emotional part. Besides, Ichigo didn't know how Rukia was processing the whole thing, it's not like this sort of thing was encouraged and discussed inside a convent.

"No, she wouldn't" Ichigo said "besides... I think it's too soon for me too I mean..."

"Exactly," Uryuu said "if you keep up the dramatic act you'll end up scaring her and ruining whatever you two have."

Renji nodded, he agreed with Uryuu.

"Then, should I just forget about it?" Ichigo asked "that's what you are saying?"

"I would advise you that if it wasn't for the fact that I've seen the way she looks at you," Uryuu said "it's not like you have no chance but, why don't you enjoy your friendship with her for a while more? If, in a few months or even a year, you think something might work out you can try again."

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"Now I see why Inoue is in love with you" he said gaping "you're wise when it comes to this!"

Uryuu blushed at the mention of his girlfriend.

"Come on," the bespectacled boy said while leaving the bathroom "we'll be late for class."

Ichigo nodded while following Ishida. He was seriously going to follow his advice, he didn't want to mess up things with Rukia.

* * *

"Wow" Riruka said as she waited along with Rukia for the teacher to arrive "so, you kissed Ichigo, you met your godmother and gained your grandaddy's support? That's quite the weekend."

"Tell me about it," Rukia said smiling "I could barely sleep processing the fact that granddaddy supports me, for a second I thought he was going to send the security team towards the cottage."

Riruka chuckled.

"Being rich sounds like fun!" She said "so, what's the plan?"

"Today?" Rukia asked "I have to go to the hospital."

Riruka frowned.

"Again?" She asked.

"Right, I haven't told you" Rukia said "in the middle of everything I forgot..."

Riruka crossed her arms as she paid attention to everything that Rukia was saying. Apparently Senna found another way to fuck up things over, it was obvious how she wasn't going to give up until finding out who Rukia was and Riruka found the whole thing funny as hell.

"Why are you smirking?" Rukia asked her after she finished telling her everything about her blood tests.

"Senna is in so much trouble!" She said chuckling "there's no way Doctor Kurosaki is going to leave everything like this after she messed up with his new daughter!"

"Oh, come on!" Rukia said blushing slightly "I'm not his..."

"And Senna also found out that your blood tests had the name "Kurosaki" on them!" Riruka continued laughing "oh, I bet she's so damn jealous! Wait until she finds out that you exchanged saliva the whole night with Ichigo!"

Rukia couldn't help it, Riruka's laugh was contagious so she started to laugh too. It wasn't as if the kiss was going to repeat itself but she had to admit that imagining Senna jealous as hell was funny.

* * *

"Girls laughing in our class" Keigo said while happy tears rolled down his cheeks "what a lovely sound!"

"It's a nice change," Mizuiro agreed "considering how Riruka used to despise all of us."

"She still does," Ikkaku said, he didn't really care about having girls as classmates, he always thought that with Yumichika around the feminine missing part of his school year was covered "but now she can hate us with a friend by her side."

Ginjo rolled his eyes as he eavesdropped his classmates' conversation, he couldn't forget easily how, thanks to that couple of girls, he had been knocked out and ridiculed in front of the whole class. Who was this Rukia anyway? The first time she was introduced to the class as the new girl Ginjo thought she was a beauty, because she definitely was, but after noticing that she and Ichigo were close as hell he decided not to approach the girl.

Ichigo and Ginjo had a misunderstanding last year because Ginjo, after hearing about the Kurosaki heir being out there getting into fights and hanging with the dangerous boys of the other side of town, thought that he would be perfect to join Xcution unfortunately that didn't happen. The bastard didn't want anything to do with Ginjo, or his friends, so after Ichigo threatened him with breaking his skull he left him alone, it was obvious for everyone that Kurosaki Ichigo was a force to be reckoned with and, unlike Ginjo, the orange haired asshole had a whole hospital to tend to him in case they were to get into a nasty fight.

Sighing heavily Ginjo looked at his cellphone again, there was a message from Loly asking him for a favor.

**From:** _Loly_

_"So, this new classmate of yours... me and the girls are curious, do you think you can give us her last name? I'll explain everything when we see you at the beach party, okay? Just make sure to get us that info, we'll pay you handsomely."_

Ginjo didn't need an explanation, he knew that if the girls of the other school wanted to know was because they also found out that Rukia was Ichigo's friend, and Senna was obviously jealous as hell. Not that it mattered, Ginjo was curious too. How come none of the teachers would call her by her last name? How come she got into school at the middle of the year? She wasn't on social media, and the profile that she had recently created on twitter didn't give any clues.

He smirked, well... it wouldn't hurt to try to get information, right? Ginjo was about to stand up and go to the girl when out of nowhere the classroom door opened.

* * *

Rangiku Matsumoto stepped into the class and everyone turned to look at her.

"Matsumoto!" Riruka greeted with a smile.

"Oh my," the busty girl said while walking towards the girls, completely unaffected by all of the boy's stares "exactly who I was looking for."

Once Matsumoto approached them, Rukia smiled at her.

"Won't you get in trouble? Classes will start soon" Rukia told her.

"Don't worry about me!" Rangiku said happily while taking a seat on Riruka's lap.

Some boys around the classroom started to murmur things and they never stopped staring. Riruka gave all of them a death glare and the middle finger.

"I know I'm lucky but this demonstration of affection is not for your entertainment, imbeciles!" she told them and everyone turned to look somewhere else.

Rangiku chuckled.

"I just came to confirm if both of you will be coming to Kaien's beach party," she said low enough so only them could hear "the girly school will have their own party too, but don't worry, we'll have Kaien's private residence at our entire disposition."

Rukia nodded.

"I had forgotten," she said as she wondered if Kaien was also rich, perhaps all of Ichigo's family was "but he invited me so Ichigo told him that we would go!"

Rangiku clapped once.

"What about you?!" she asked while looking at Riruka.

The pink haired girl pouted.

"I don't know..." she said unsure "I don't want to be close to the bitches from the other school."

"But I'll be going!" Rukia said before Rangiku could try to convince her "I've never been to the beach and Matsumoto will be there with us."

"Hinamori too," Matsumoto added while putting her arms around Riruka's neck "so? You wouldn't miss the fun, right?"

Riruka sighed, she knew that she wouldn't win this fight, not to mention that having a girls' trip with her new best friend sounded extremely fun. Besides, even if they were to see Senna and her pathetic squad, she wouldn't be alone and if, by any chance, Senna were to see Rukia and Ichigo together Riruka would enjoy her jealous face. It was like a win-win situation.

"Fine," Riruka said finally with a smile "but if the Kurosaki heir wants to steal your virginity after a few drinks I won't be interfering!"

Rukia blushed as Matsumoto laughed.

"Oh, please!" Matsumoto said "if they want some private time the least we can do is to help them! Either way, I'm extremely happy that you're both are coming" she said standing up "we'll talk at lunch about everything, okay?!"

Riruka and Rukia nodded and Matsumoto left the classroom.

"It's a good thing that the beach party is a week before the Chappy convention, that way we'll have enough time to prepare for both of them" Riruka said pensively.

"Chappy convention, right" Rukia said frowning "you didn't give me the details in your message, you just said that we couldn't miss it."

Riruka smirked devilishly as she passed her cellphone to Rukia. The raven haired girl took it as she read the information about the fan page that was announcing the whole thing. Rukia thought that Riruka was right, there was no way she was missing an event like this one. Original merchandise? Free plushies? Purses? Hell, Rukia was suddenly extremely happy about having her granddaddy's financial support, hopefully he wouldn't get mad if she were to go crazy at a convention, he wanted her to be happy, right?

Still, there was something that Rukia found suspicious about the whole event, what was it?

She kept going through the fan page and her eyes widened as she realized the place in which the convention was going to be held. She groaned, that was no mere coincidence, it couldn't be.

"What is it?" Riruka asked her confused after seeing her expression.

"This is a trap," Rukia told her as she handed her cellphone back "the building in which the convention will take place belongs to my family, they are trying to catch my attention."

Riruka's mouth dropped open.

"You have to be kidding me!" she exclaimed surprised "but how can we be sure? Damn, being the only heiress of a wealthy, and powerful, clan sounds like a pain."

Rukia nodded.

"Come with me today after classes," she told her "we'll call granddaddy to confirm our suspicions."

"Sure! I'm dying to meet your godmother too!" Riruka told her and Rukia smiled.

"Yo, Riruka!" someone called and both girls turned to look at the owner of the voice "you seem to be happy with your new friend but I would be careful, do you even know who she is?"

Riruka stood up defiantly and Rukia did the same. For some reason, Ginjo wanted to start a fight and neither of the girls were in the mood.

* * *

Grimmjow frowned as all of the class observed the interchange that was about to take place. He knew that the girl was mysterious, there was no way around it, but to call her, like a pariah, in the middle of class? Grimmjow suddenly felt the need to punch the idiot's face. He smirked as he thought about it, Kurosaki was nowhere to be found and he had asked him to look after the girl in case he wasn't near, he was going to respect that part of the deal.

* * *

"Excuse me," Rukia said smiling at Ginjo sarcastically "do I know you?"

All of the class laughed and Ginjo stood up while blushing angrily. Rukia didn't know if this had something to do about what happened in Gym class but she wasn't going to back down, one thing was to mess up with her for the fun of it, but everything was completely different if it involved her friends.

"You don't," Ginjo answered while walking towards her until they were both face to face, although Rukia was shorter "but Riruka does and I'm simply warning her about getting along with strangers."

"First of all, idiot" Riruka said "I don't need anyone's warnings, what the fuck?"

"Besides," Rukia added "if we're honest here you look way shadier than me, what was your name again?"

Everyone laughed again but Ginjo wasn't going to give up.

"Hear me out…" Ginjo said but Rukia wasn't giving the chance.

"Oh, I remember you now!" she said smiling "you're the one with the fragile masculinity, the one that Yumichika knocked out, right?"

Yumichika fanned himself proudly as Riruka chuckled.

"There you have it," Riruka said "why don't you just leave us alone? What's your deal?"

Ginjo crossed his arms, he would have to be blunt about the whole thing because trying to tear the girl down was not going to work.

"Who are you?" he asked finally "how did you manage to enroll in the middle of the year? Why not even the teachers call you by your last name?"

Rukia frowned.

"Honest question," she said upset "what makes you think that I'll answer you? I don't owe explanations to anyone, much less to a stranger."

"Sure, sweet thing" Ginjo said sarcastically and then looked at his classmates "come on, isn't anyone else curious? Does anyone around here knows her or where she lives? Her family? All of us have been together since kindergarten, we basically know everything about everyone but she" he pointed rudely at Rukia "is a goddamn mystery."

Rukia looked around and noticed the curious and awkward faces of some of her classmates, she gulped. Ginjo was right, most of them were wondering about her and that was not going to work in her benefit.

"Her last name is not important," Riruka said while trying to find a way out of this "she's just a normal girl, and my friend, and unlike you she does not belong to a fucking teenage gang with a pathetic name."

"Xcution is not pathetic!" Ginjo excused himself.

"You keep saying that," Ikkaku said "how many members does it have? Five?"

Several of the boys laughed.

"Think what you want," Ginjo said "but how can we be sure that we're not dealing with someone dangerous? What if she's the daughter of some mafia boss?"

Rukia couldn't help it so she snorted and everyone looked at her.

"Oh my God," she said as she started to laugh "I'm sorry! It's just… daddy?! A Yakuza?! He would've been so offended!" her laugh was uncontrollable and Riruka laughed alongside her, she had to admit that imagining an enraged Kuchiki Byakuya for being called a criminal was funny.

"What part of that gorgeous face looks dangerous to you?" Yumichika asked "she looks like an angel! And I'm getting her a boyfriend this year!" he declared "so anyone who doubts her or keep pestering her with questions will not make it to the list of suitors so I suggest you to stop."

Riruka smirked as she noticed how most of the class dropped the topic, it was obvious that while they were curious they were also interested in her, those were good news.

Ginjo was angry as hell, not only he was not able to find out what was the girl's deal but now no one inside the class was supporting him so, without being able to help himself, he grabbed her by the front of her uniform angrily.

"Ginjo!" Riruka exclaimed surprised and worried at the same time.

"Let me go," Rukia said coldly, her laugh was over "you seriously don't want to do this."

"I won't have a girl telling me what I want to do or not," he said with his face just inches from hers "who are you?"

"My name is Rukia," she answered "I'm just Rukia."

The whole class was tense while observing the exchange. Ikkaku and Yumichika exchanged a look wondering how fast they could intervene, they just couldn't let Ginjo hurt her.

"And where did a pretty thing like you come from?" Ginjo questioned her, while holding her tighter.

"Go fuck yourself" Rukia said and that was the limit for Ginjo, he raised his fist while his other hand was still holding her by her uniform and was ready to break her cute, little nose.

Rukia closed her eyes instinctively but the pain never came, after three seconds she opened her eyes and she gasped when she noticed that Grimmjow was holding Ginjo's fist. She suddenly felt the need to thank him but the words were not coming out, she noticed how Grimmjow looked enraged.

Rukia didn't understand why she suddenly felt extremely safe.

"This has nothing to do with you," Ginjo told Grimmjow "let me go."

"Let you go? Nothing to do with me?" Grimmjow asked while tightening his grip around Ginjo's arm "I'm sorry but my father did not raise a fucking idiot, unlike yours, if you think that I'll let you hurt this girl you have other thing coming."

"Let me go," Ginjo said and Rukia noticed how he looked scared "we both know that you don't want to fight me."

"I want to break your skull," Grimmjow said smirking sadistically "I've never been fond of misogynistic assholes but, since you seem eager to punch someone, why don't you try me? We'll see if you keep the mister macho act after messing up with someone near your size."

Ginjo gulped.

"Let her go," Grimmjow ordered while tightening his grip even more "I won't say it again."

Ginjo winced and Rukia's eyes widened.

"You'll get in trouble because of me, Grimmjow" Rukia said worriedly "let him go, he won't do anything to me."

"Don't worry about me, Princess" Grimmjow said while avoiding her eyes, why was a novice so fucking pretty? He didn't understand.

"But…"

"Shut up," Ginjo said looking at Rukia "I knew you had something going on with Kurosaki but Grimmjow too? You do have some exotic taste."

Rukia blushed.

"And besides," Ginjo added "what makes you think that I won't punch your pretty, little face?"

"You won't," someone said menacingly appearing behind Ginjo "there's something wrong with you if you believe that I'll let you touch her."

"Ichigo!" Rukia said.

"Yo, midget" he said while putting an arm around Ginjo's neck from behind "I take my eyes off you for two seconds and you're already in trouble."

"Oh," Ginjo smirked at Rukia "you seem happy to see him, are you fucking both of them? Which one of them goes behind?"

Rukia gasped offended.

"Just for the record…" Grimmjow started to say.

"You asked for it!" Ichigo finished as he started to choke Ginjo.

Ginjo was struggling against Ichigo and Grimmjow so he let go of Rukia, who took several steps back, and in the middle of everything a fight began.

"Are you okay?" Riruka asked Rukia.

"Yeah, I'm fine" she said and then frowned "Ichigo! Grimmjow! Stop it! You'll get in trouble!"

"The only one who is in trouble is Ginjo," Riruka said "and he deserves it."

"But…" Rukia said.

"What's going on here?!" Kyoraku asked the moment he stepped in the classroom.

Grimmjow and Ichigo let go of Ginjo and exchanged a worried look.

They were in some deep shit.

* * *

Ginrei sighed as he sent his personal assistant to deliver the envelope to Yoruichi's store, and luckily he swore not to tell anyone around the mansion about his little errand. In the end Ginrei chose the black card, it was the one that wouldn't run out of money and, the report of each transaction was sent towards his mail immediately, so that way he would keep a track on Rukia.

He had agreed to let her be free, of course, but that didn't mean that he couldn't keep an eye on her in his own way.

He hoped that he would be able to see her soon.

* * *

"Would you please stop sulking?" Riruka asked Rukia.

"He's in trouble because of me" Rukia groaned "again!"

They were in the rooftop while waiting for Matsumoto and Hinamori, it was already lunch time and, after the fight in the classroom, Ginjo, Grimmjow and Ichigo were taken to the Principal office and, while she hadn't had the chance to talk with Ichigo, rumors said that he was going to face detention.

"He won't be able to go to work!" Rukia said "his boss is going to fire him!"

Riruka rolled her eyes, Rukia was panicking.

"Okay, I want to slap you so please take a deep breath"

Rukia did so.

"Now, you'll be able to talk to him later" Riruka told her "you should be thinking about your blood tests, the beach trip and the Chappy convention."

"What about Ichigo?" Rukia asked.

Riruka smiled.

"The Kurosaki heir is one of Ukitake's favorites" she told her "once the Principal hears how he stood up for you he'll let him go easily."

Rukia sighed, perhaps Riruka was right. She wanted to tell her how she was worried about Grimmjow too, he was just defending her too after all, but she didn't need an earful and Riruka would yell at her if she were to hear about her being worried for the boy who, basically, kidnapped her.

* * *

Ukitake sighed heavily.

Ginjo was sporting some painful looking brusies and an enraged expression, Grimmjow and Ichigo on their side were unharmed. He didn't know how to feel about the whole thing, after hearing all of the boys' excuses he got to the conclusion that all of them deserved to be punished, it hurt him to have to give detention to Ichigo but he just couldn't go around school punching someone, even if it was for Rukia's sake. There had to be other ways to deal with problems, he just had to understand that.

"Detention," Ukitake said finally "for everyone."

Ichigo winced, Byakuya was going to kill him for not going to work.

"I'll inform your parents," Ukitake said "you can go to lunch."

The boys were about to leave the office but Ukitake stopped them.

"And before I forget" Ukitake added while looking at Ginjo "the reason why Rukia is not using her last name is strictly confidential, if you pressure her again or if you raise your fist at any other girl inside this school, I'll make sure to tell your parents to send you to a correctional, I will not have nor will I stand bullies, especially male bullies attacking girls."

"Sir…" Ginjo tried to say.

"Besides the detention I'll have Kenpachi deal with you" Ukitake added and Ginjo paled "you can leave now."

* * *

Once the three of them were outside the Principal's office Ginjo looked at Ichigo.

"Keep an eye open for that little girl of yours," he said menacingly "and you two should be careful on your way home today."

"We'll be waiting for you" Grimmjow said smirking, outside school everything was fair game for him.

"And if you try anything against Rukia," Ichigo added "you'll find yourself in a world of pain."

Ginjo scoffed as he walked towards lunch with an annoyed expression. Once he was out of earshot Ichigo put his hands inside his pockets, he didn't want to do what he was about to do but it was fair.

"Thank you," he said without looking at Grimmjow "thank you for keeping your part of the deal."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"I cannot stand bastards like that one," he said "but he's right, keep an eye open, more than one fucking idiot will try to investigate now that he questioned her."

Ichigo clicked his tongue, that was true.

"Who is she anyway?" Grimmjow asked curiously.

"Believe it or not" Ichigo said while starting to walk away "I don't know."

"And you don't care?" Grimmjow asked.

"Why would I?" Ichigo asked finally and disappeared down the hallway.

Grimmjow sighed.

"You were always a terrible liar" he muttered under his breath.

* * *

**This chapter was not going to happen but Grimmjow's scene popped in my head and I had to write it! We'll have the hospital visit on the next one, okay?! Now, I'm sorry for taking so long in updating but sometimes it's hard to fight against the writer's block.**

**Now, I want to thank everyone who always leave me lovely reviews, honestly if it wasn't for them I would abandon my stories, so thank you so much! **

**FicsXd: ¡Muchas gracias por tu review! En los siguientes capítulos espero poder introducir los personajes que faltan, déjame saber si te gusto este. Besos. **

**Bleach power: Thank you so much for your review! It makes me happy to see that you're still reading my stories! I have lots of things planned for this one, hopefully you'll like it. Let me know what you think about this chapter, kisses! **

**RukiYuki: Oh, the Chappy convention will be huge! I promise! Thank you for your review! Let me know if you liked this chapter, okay?! Take care.**

**Jobananasan: Okay, your review was so awesome and let's just say that I cannot answer completely because it would give a huuuuge spoiler but how do you do it?! You always guess correctly! And don't worry, Rukia is smart so the Kuchikis won't find her… yet. I cannot wait to read if you liked this chapter, let me know, okay?! Kisses! **

**Inverse L. Reena: Jajajaja, juro que cuando pensé en la trampa con Chappy pensé lo mismo. No puedo esperar para escribir ese capítulo, déjame saber si te gusto este. Besos. **

**Ik42: Thank you for your review! I'll be waiting to read your opinion about this chapter, take care! **

**Natsumivat: Tus reviews siempre me hacen sonreír mucho, pero prometo que para los próximos capítulos vas a tener un poco más de fe en los Kuchiki y espero que no te este aburriendo tanto drama jajaja. La convención de Chappy va a estar llena de acción. Espero leer pronto qué opinas de este capítulo, ¡cuídate mucho y besos! **

**Nejes: Thank you so much for your review! I'll write about the Chappy convention soon! Okay? Let me know what you think about this chapter! Kisses! **

**Brunna Aprigio d: Thank you so much for your lovely review! I loved it! Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter too! Let me know what you think, okay?! Take care. **

**If I didn't mention you let me know so I can thank you properly.**

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

* * *

"_Detention?"_ Byakuya asked at the other side of the line, and he made it sound as if it was the worst insult he could've muttered.

Ichigo winced inwardly as he held the phone close to his ear, he knew that Byakuya wouldn't take the news about his punishment well. It was one of the conditions after all, a good employer ought to have an impeccable record.

"Yeah," Ichigo confirmed "but I can explain…"

"_No, you can't"_ Byakuya interrupted him _"how did you manage to get a detention when there's so much to do?"_

"It's not like I got it on purpose" Ichigo muttered annoyed.

"_What was that?"_ Byakuya questioned angrily.

"Nothing!" Ichigo said while running a hand through his hair "listen, I'm sorry… it's just…"

"_You're such an irresponsible…"_

"_Okay that's enough"_ Ichigo heard Ginrei interrupting _"stop giving the boy a hard time, it's the first time he misses work, it won't happen again."_

Ichigo sighed.

He loved Kuchiki Ginrei.

He heard as Byakuya scoffed and he guessed that he was passing the phone to Ginrei, which made Ichigo extremely grateful, having to give explanations to Byakuya was hard but Ginrei was understandable and kind. Besides, he needed some reassuring words before actually informing his father, he would beat him up once he found out.

"_Son,"_ Ginrei greeted at the other side of the line _"did you get detention for being a bad boy? Were you smoking or skipping classes?"_

Ichigo was glad to hear Ginrei so lively, perhaps resting during the weekend turned out to be beneficial for him, Ichigo could picture him smiling.

"I beat someone up," he explained without feeling sorry "but the idiot was about to punch a girl, what was I supposed to do? I acted before I could even think!"

Ginrei laughed.

"_If it was up to me, my boy"_ he said _"I would give you a raise!"_

"_I'm not giving any criminal a raise"_ Byakuya declared.

Ichigo chuckled.

"_As long as you keep in mind that violence is not the answer, you're forgiven"_ Ginrei said finally.

"Yes, Ginrei-sama" Ichigo said "I will keep it in mind."

"_That's enough for me,"_ Ginrei assured him _"we'll see you tomorrow and don't worry, Byakuya will forget all about this." _

"Thank you, really" Ichigo said and, after saying goodbye, he hung up.

It was then when Rukia approached him. Ichigo was standing outside the classroom in which he was going to have detention and classes were already over, he was about to greet her with a smile until he noticed her sad eyes and her worried expression.

"What is it?" he asked her once she was in front of him.

"This is my fault," she said while looking at him "if I hadn't encouraged him, I mean… I should've just told him my last name, that way you wouldn't be here and you wouldn't be in trouble at work."

"First of all," Ichigo started "you didn't encourage anything, Ginjo is a fucking idiot! You don't owe any asshole a fucking explanation."

"But…"

"Second," he continued "while some people, me included, might be curious you said that your father is a known figure in the business world, revealing your last name would be like driving him towards here, and I rather you being a mystery than having you going back to him."

Rukia's eyes widened.

"Really?" she asked.

"Really," Ichigo said nodding "so stop overthinking and besides, I'm not in trouble, my boss might be an asshole but he understood… sort of. If anything this is like having the afternoon off."

Rukia grabbed one of his hands and squeezed gently.

"You're an idiot," she said angrily "I don't want you to go around picking fights because of me."

Ichigo shrugged while squeezing her hand back.

"You're worth it," he said "besides, I sort of saw you threatening Ginjo, was it my imagination or were you ready to kick his ass?"

Rukia smirked.

"I thought about it," she admitted "I've had enough of bullies for a lifetime."

Ichigo kept quiet at that. He supposed that now that she was finally free her true self was starting to show, he guessed that back at the convent she didn't stand up to herself since she was at disadvantage, but now it was a matter of time before she were to be fed up about everyone trying to find out about her life. He was looking forward to see her breaking one or two asshole's noses, perhaps Riruka's attitude was rubbing on her.

"Anyway," Ichigo said finally "is getting late and you should be worrying about yourself instead of me. My father will be waiting for you and something tells me that Karin and Yuzu won't leave you alone once you arrive home."

_Home_ Rukia thought, she really liked how that sounded.

"Are you going to be okay?" Ichigo asked her "I should've gone with you."

"Don't worry, carrot top" she told him "Yoruichi will go with me so I won't get lost and I should be able to handle the needles."

Ichigo smiled at her.

"Text me once it's done, okay?" he told her.

She stood up on her tiptoes and, taking him by surprise, gave him a peck on the lips.

"I will" she promised.

* * *

"What took you so long?" Riruka asked her once they were outside the school.

Rukia shrugged.

"I was apologizing," she explained and Riruka rolled her eyes "anyway, we'll go to Yoruichi's store and we'll call granddaddy from there."

"We should take the bus" Riruka suggested.

They were about to agree on the direction they were about to take when a expensive looking, silver Volvo stopped in front of them. Riruka's mouth dropped open while Rukia frowned apprehensively, she was sure that only his father, or one of his friends, would be able to afford a car like that one. Had she been found? She thought about grabbing Riruka's hand and running as fast as she could but in that moment the owner of the car opened the passenger's door.

Rukia sighed relieved when she realized who was inside the car.

"No need to panic," Yoruichi smiled at them "your fairy godmother is here to take you to your doctor appointment."

"This is your godmother?" Riruka asked shocked.

Rukia nodded happily.

"That's it," the pink haired girl declared "your family can adopt me, I'll dye my heart black and wear contacts for the rest of my life if they want to."

Rukia and Yoruichi laughed.

"Be careful with what you wish for," Yoruichi told her playfully as they got inside the car "Byakuya-boo is a fucking handful."

"Agreed" Rukia said unapologetic and Yoruichi accelerated.

* * *

"You're the one who's giving us detention?" Ichigo asked completely scared.

"You got a problem with that?" Kenpachi asked him while crossing his arms.

"No, Sir!" he answered quickly.

Inside the classroom were only two double desks. Ashido and Ginjo were together in one of them, apparently Ashido was still grounded for trying to attack Rukia in Gym class. Grimmjow was on the other desk and Ichigo tried not to think too much about having to share his whole detention right next to him, the worst part was that, inside the classroom, Grimmjow was the only one who Ichigo would be able to stand for several hours. He sighed inwardly at the absurdity of it all.

"Now," Kenpachi said as Ichigo took a seat next to Grimmjow "back in my days, detention was a pain in the ass so I swore that if I were to inflict punishment upon someone I would do it like a real punishment should be."

Grimmjow clenched his fists under the desk and Ichigo noticed, it was one of his mannerisms whenever he would get nervous or anxious.

"You two" Kenpachi said while pointing at Ginjo and Ashido "are here because you both tried to attack a girl, like the dickless bastards you are, do you have any explanations for that? Or should I punch you both in the face so you understand why you can't do that to a fellow classmate?"

Ashido hid his face on his hands.

"Sir," Ginjo said mustering some courage "I know I got carried away but I just wanted to know her last name, what's wrong with that?"

"Her last name?" Kenpachi asked "what for?"

Ginjo shrugged.

"Curiosity" he said finally.

To everyone's surprise Kenpachi laughed.

"Ginjo," he said "that's none of your fucking business but I guess that if that was the reason you should be thanking these two for stopping you."

"Thanking us?" Grimmjow couldn't help to ask.

"Yeah," Kenpachi said, he was grinning as if he was enjoying the whole thing "let's just say that if this bastard had laid a single finger on her, and if she had told her family about it, he would be on the truck of a black van on his way to be…" he made a pause "put to sleep, if you know what I mean."

Ginjo gaped.

Grimmjow looked at Ichigo with widened eyes.

"Are you sure she's not dangerous?" he asked him low enough so no one else would hear.

Ichigo shrugged.

"She's not," he assured him "her father is."

"And you're okay with that?" he asked him.

Ichigo smirked at him. He was pretending to be okay with the whole thing, although deep down he had to admit that he had no idea that Rukia's family could be dangerous, was she the daughter of some mafia boss?

"You know I've been thinking…" he said while paying attention to Grimmjow's expressions "perhaps the fact that she has this interesting background is one of the reasons why I cannot seem to be able to let her go."

"One of the reasons?" Grimmjow questioned while smirking back, he recognized whenever Ichigo would look for a way to piss him off "what are the other ones?"

"Her amazing kisses" Ichigo answered.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

The bastard was never going to change.

"If good kisses were enough for you to keep someone by your side you wouldn't have broken up with me," he whispered unaffected by the revelation that Rukia and Ichigo were already sharing kisses "idiot."

Ichigo glared at him.

"Now," Kenpachi said "let's go on with your detention."

* * *

"So, you're completely sure that this Chappy event is a trap? One hundred percent?" Yoruichi asked while casually ignoring a red light.

Rukia nodded as she held to her seat tightly, Yoruichi drove like mad.

"Ninety nine percent," she said "it'll be held inside the North building, and we're talking about daddy, there's no way he would use his dear and sophisticated installations to receive hundreds of teenage girls out of nowhere, it does not seem right to me."

"You know your father quite well, uh?" Riruka asked from the backseat.

Rukia shrugged.

"Sort of," she said "but what made me suspicious was the building, not daddy's personality."

"I didn't know that that building belonged to the Kuchikis," Yoruichi said "I knew some big corporation had offices there but it never crossed my mind that the Kuchikis owned the place."

"It's not public information," Rukia explained as she fought the urge to gasp while Yoruichi ignored a stop sign "the main branch, which is in the main Karakura building, is the only one that is publicly known as Kuchiki's property. That's where the general public is received, the other ones work more discreetly and it's divided by categories, for example, if someone wants to look for a job with us it would be handled by the main branch but, in case a business partner wants to suggest another huge deal, it'll be directed to the discreet branches."

Yoruichi looked at Rukia with surprise written all over her face.

"How do you know all of this?" she asked her.

"I used to work with daddy whenever he would stay at home," she said "but besides that granddaddy and grandpa taught me a lot, and whenever I was bored and alone I would memorize documents around their studio."

"What?" Riruka asked surprised.

Rukia nodded.

"Since I wasn't at home the last three years there's a lot I don't know," she admitted frowning "but I memorized all of the clan's real estate properties, account numbers, business partners and associates, some of the employees' names, numbers and addresses" she said and Yoruichi and Riruka gaped at her "I also know their car plates numbers, e-mail addresses and passwords."

"Wait," Riruka said "how come you didn't forget all of this after being inside the convent?"

"Well," Rukia said while shrugging uncomfortable "whenever I would get punished, you know whenever they would lock me in the basement or sent me to pray on my own, I would repeat everything I knew so I wouldn't forget any of it."

There was a heavy silence inside the car after that and Rukia looked through the window. She knew that Yoruichi knew about the convent but she didn't give any details to Riruka and besides she wanted to avoid sharing what happened there, she just wanted to forget.

"Shouldn't you be focusing on the road?!" Riruka asked Yoruichi who turned just in time to avoid hitting a hydrant.

"So…" Yoruichi said "you basically have inside your head all of your family's information? Girl, don't go around making that public, anyone who gets to know that can own their asses."

Riruka nodded.

"Yeah," she agreed "if a rival company were to find out they wouldn't stop at anything to get that information."

"Well," Rukia said "it's not like I'll be sharing it and no one, besides you two, know that I know."

"You never told your family?" Yoruichi questioned.

Rukia shook her head in negative.

"They just knew I was learning about the family business," she said "I never let them know that I was keeping all of the information" then she added "the only thing that I never checked were the medical records and the doctors' information, I didn't care about those especially after finding out that I had the same condition as mom."

Yoruichi gulped, that's why Rukia trusted Isshin and Unohana, she didn't know that they managed all of the Kuchikis' medical treatments. She was afraid about asking her next question but she needed to know.

"Were you planning to use it against them?" she questioned.

"One time," Rukia cleared her throat "well things were bad at the convent and my letters were never answered, I was starving and in pain, I promised myself that if I were to escape I would look for the company or enterprise that daddy hated the most and I would sell him" she admitted.

Yoruichi paled as she grabbed the steering wheel with more strength than necessary.

"But?" Riruka pressed on after a few seconds of silence.

"But I couldn't find the strength to keep hating my family, I realized that I missed them more than anything, so I prayed and I made a deal with God" Rukia said with sad eyes "I told Him that if He were to allow me to escape I wouldn't do anything against them, I swore that I would, eventually, forgive them and that I would live a normal and decent life."

Yoruichi gaped.

"One week later I found my chance to escape" Rukia said finally smiling.

"So the Kuchikis were saved by God" Riruka summarized.

Rukia chuckled.

"And now they are planning to kidnap me in the middle of the convention" she said smirking.

"Well," Yoruichi said finally "should we call Ginrei-sama to confirm our suspicions?"

Riruka and Rukia nodded.

* * *

When his cellphone rang Ginrei knew it was Rukia, she was calling from Yoruichi's phone but there was no doubt. Smiling slightly he looked around the garden, he was all alone so he started to walk further ahead as he answered.

"Hello?" he greeted.

"_Granddaddy!"_ Rukia said happily _"is it safe to talk for now, I guess?" _

"Yes," he said, he was happy to hear her again so soon "otherwise I wouldn't have answered, is everything okay? Did you get the package?"

"_Package?"_ Rukia asked.

"_Oh shit,"_ Ginrei heard Yoruichi saying _"I forgot, there check under your seat."_

Ginrei heard some movements and he realized that they were in a car, well, it was a good thing that Rukia was safe with Yoruichi but, if memory served right, the dark skinned woman was not the most responsible driver. He could remember Byakuya's anxious face whenever Yoruichi would drive a pregnant Hisana around, hopefully Rukia would be okay.

"_Oh, here it is!"_ Rukia said _"oh my God!"_

Ginrei smiled.

He knew she would like the surprise.

* * *

"My sketchbook!" Rukia said smiling as she took it out of the thick envelope "thank you, granddaddy!"

"_I knew you would like it,"_ he said _"send me pictures of your drawings once in a while, okay?"_

"Sure!" Rukia said and then took out of the envelope the credit card he promised, her eyes widened as she realized which one it was "oh my God, the black card?! Really?!"

Riruka gaped as Rukia turned slightly around to show her the card.

Ginrei chuckled.

"_It does not have a limit,"_ he said as his voice sounded all around the car _"so you're free to use it as much as you want, although I advise you to be discreet, it might call too much attention if normal people were to see it."_

"It might call the attention? Normal people?" Riruka asked chuckling "do you mean "peasants" and "hard workers who earn the minimum", perhaps?"

Yoruichi chuckled.

"The Kuchikis are not exactly known for their…" she made a pause of a few seconds "humility."

"Who's that?" Ginrei asked confused.

Rukia laughed.

"Sorry, granddaddy" she said "I haven't introduced you, well… I cannot tell you her name, but she's my best friend so don't worry."

"_Oh,"_ Ginrei said kindly _"nice to meet you, sort of."_

"It's okay, granddaddy" Riruka said exchanging a smirk with Rukia "I've been taking good care of Rukia, so you can trust me."

"_I'm glad,"_ Ginrei said _"you must be the pink haired girl that was with her at the Chappy store, right?"_

Rukia and Riruka gasped.

"How do you know?!" they asked at the same time.

Yoruichi laughed.

"The Kuchikis are a force to be reckoned with!" she exclaimed.

"_We paid quite the amount to the boy in the store to give us information on you both,"_ Ginrei explained _"although he was useless."_

"Most boys are useless," Riruka agreed "I keep telling Rukia to don't even bother with them."

"_I think I already like you, pink haired girl"_ Ginrei said.

Rukia rolled her eyes at Riruka's smug grin.

"So, I guess that I'm under the Kuchikis' radar?" Riruka asked "how are we going to attend the convention like this?"

"Granddaddy!" Rukia said "that's what we wanted to ask! The Chappy convention is a trap, right?"

* * *

Ginrei sighed relieved.

"I'm so glad you figured it out," he said "what gave them away?"

"_Well,"_ Rukia said _"I remembered the building and I know daddy is not the type of man to throw that sort of events on a whim."_

"You're correct," Ginrei confirmed "it's a trap, so as long as you don't go…"

"_Granddaddy, they'll be giving one ticket to go to Chappyland"_ Rukia said interrupting him _"and you're asking me not to go?!"_

Ginrei cursed inwardly, he knew Byakuya was right, it was a huge opportunity for Rukia to miss. He had to admit that he knew his daughter's weaknesses.

"Rukia," Ginrei said "the benefactors of the event, Soujun and Byakuya, will be the ones giving the ticket, they know you'll do everything in your power to win. Do you realize that if you go, and if you win the ticket, you'll have no other choice but to face them?"

"_Don't worry, granddaddy"_ Ginrei heard the pink haired girl saying _"we'll make sure to be as careful as possible."_

"_She's right,"_ Rukia agreed _"we'll come up with a plan"_

"But…" Ginrei tried to insist.

"_You'll be going, right granddaddy?"_ Rukia asked _"something tells me you shouldn't miss the fun."_

Ginrei shook his head, Rukia was crazy.

"Fine," he said giving in "I'll go, but if you and your friend end up captured by our security team I won't be interfering, do you hear me?"

Ginrei heard both girls laughing and he smiled, he was really glad that Rukia had found a reliable friend.

"_We're here"_ Yoruichi announced.

"_Oh, right"_ Rukia said _"I have to go, granddaddy. Thanks again! I'll send you some pictures today so make sure your phone has a good password, okay?"_

"Yes, thank you" he said "take care, Rukia"

"_Nice to meet you!"_ the other girl yelled and Ginrei chuckled.

"Likewise" he said and the line went dead.

He looked around his garden as he enjoyed the sunlight.

"Well," he said aloud to himself "at least she's having fun."

* * *

Isshin couldn't remember a more annoying day in his whole life as a doctor. He could remember several good days, patients thanking him, patients recovering well and all of that. He could also remember several bad days, patients getting worse, patients near death and of course, patients that would blame him for their misfortune after he did everything that was on his power to help them, so after all that, he believed that he had seen everything.

But oh, how _wrong_ he was.

"Sung-Sun," Isshin insisted "you need to calm down."

"It's just…" she sobbed while crying all over his office carpet "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! Please, don't fire me! I'll do anything!"

Isshin fought the urge to rub his temples, he couldn't stand her crying anymore, it was annoying as hell. Not to mention that Rukia was about to arrive at any minute and he didn't want them to meet each other, that would be awkward. It was a good thing that he decided to leave the door of his office open, that way everyone would understand what he was willing to do to protect his patients but also, there would be lots of witnesses so he wouldn't have to go around explaining why Sung-sun looked like a mess.

"The board will discuss your case in an hour," he said trying to remain calm and collected "we'll talk there, please, leave my office."

"No, Sir!"

Isshin was about to call someone from security when Rukia stepped into the room.

"Oji-san!" she greeted happily.

Isshin found himself smiling at the sight of her, he loved to see her happy, her violet eyes were shining with mirth and she looked as if she was having the time of her life, Yoruichi was really the part of her past that she needed to meet.

"Third daughter!" he greeted back leaving Sung-sun completely forgotten on the carpet "I was waiting for you!"

Rukia was about to say something else until she noticed the sobbing girl on the floor. She blinked confused until she realized that she had seen her before, when she visited the hospital with Ichigo the first time, she scrunched her nose awkwardly as she remembered her rude remarks.

"Oh, that's perfect!" Riruka said stepping into the office "you do that same expression if Ichigo is ever rude to you, he'll fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness!"

"Uh?" Rukia asked her confused.

Isshin laughed.

"Hello, Riruka" he said politely "it's been a while."

"Doctor Kurosaki," she greeted with a polite smile "I still remember how you offered my mom therapy in case I was giving her too many headaches, I've avoided you since then."

Isshin chuckled.

"You were always a riot," he said unapologetic "I just wanted to make sure that your mother was okay."

Riruka waved a hand dismissively.

"She hasn't complained lately" she said "and before you suggest anything for me, I'm just here supporting my best friend" she put an arm around Rukia's shoulders.

"I'm glad," Isshin said and then looked behind them "I thought Yoruichi was going to come."

"She's arguing with one of the nurses as we speak," Rukia explained "she dropped a pack of cigarettes by mistake on the lobby and they've been explaining to her that she cannot smoke in here."

Isshin chuckled.

"Then we should move on," he said "I want to take the blood samples as soon as I can towards the lab."

"Sir, wait!" Sung-sun begged "don't fire me! I cannot face the board! I'll do anything!"

Rukia blinked.

"We should go..." Isshin tried to say again but Sung-sun grabbed onto his coat to prevent him from moving.

"Please!" Sung-sun tried again.

Rukia looked at the sobbing mess the girl was, she also noticed how fed up Ichigo's father looked, the girl had probably been begging the whole morning. Rukia frowned.

"Let me guess..." Riruka said "she's the one who ruined the previous blood sample?"

Isshin nodded and Sung-sun sobbed harder. She was crying so hard that Rukia didn't understand how she was able to breathe, it was almost painful to see, she couldn't stand it.

"Don't you dare..." Riruka warned her after seeing her expression.

Rukia sighed heavily and kneeled next to Sung-sun.

"Hey," she said softly "I'm sorry but you should let him go, if you calm down you might talk calmly with the board."

Sung-sun shook her head.

"No!" she said "if I get fired my parents will be so disappointed! I cannot even explain! I..."

"Everyone makes mistakes" Rukia said calmly while trying to make her let go of Isshin's coat "we just have to face the consequences of our own actions, it'll be okay."

Sung-sun glared at her.

"This is all your fault!" she yelled finally "why can't you be less interesting?! Why can't you just be honest with the people around you?! Why are you hiding your last name?!"

Rukia sighed.

"Yeah, I'm the one to blame" she said sarcastically while rolling her eyes "I totally forced you to break your workplace's protocol just to find out an irrelevant fact about an irrelevant girl."

Sung-sun let go of Isshin's coat and grabbed Rukia by the front of her uniform.

"You don't understand what I'm going through right now!" she yelled "if you had never appeared around here I wouldn't be losing my job."

Rukia smiled sadly at her.

"You're right, I don't understand what you're going through" she agreed "but I'm not to blame, I'm a patient here and it was your job to respect my personal information, you should stop trying to look for culprits."

Sung-sun gaped.

"Besides," Rukia added "this is God's way of teaching us lessons, perhaps if you pray a little before your meeting with the board you might make them listen."

Isshin sighed as Riruka rolled her eyes. She knew that Rukia wouldn't be able to help herself, it was one of her mannerisms.

"God?!" Sung-sun asked confused.

Rukia nodded. She took Sung-sun's hand and placed them in a prayer position, taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and placed her forehead against Sung-sun's and started to pray quietly. She asked for her to be able to find peace within herself and to learn from her mistakes, she also asked for her to leave behind her some toxic relationships, like Senna's friendship. The prayer lasted less than a minute but once Rukia was done, Sung-sun threw herself at her and hugged her.

"Thank you!" she said to Rukia "thank you for this!"

Rukia hugged her back and chuckled.

"See? You'll feel better"

Isshin looked questioningly at Riruka who simply shrugged. Isshin thought that perhaps, if she hadn't been treated horribly at the convent, she would've been a great nun, the fact that Sung-sun had been touched by her prayer was proof of that. He wondered, with hidden amusement, what the men of the Kuchiki clan would think if they were to see her like this, Byakuya probably wouldn't even know what to think.

It was then when Yoruichi stepped into the room while frowning, she had obviously lost her fight against the nurse.

"Your nurses are a nightmare!" Yoruichi told Isshin "I told them that I know I cannot smoke inside a hospital but they didn't care! They took the cigarettes to prevent any mistakes!" she scoffed and then looked at Rukia who was hugging a crying girl on the floor "what the fuck did I miss?"

Riruka laughed as Isshin rubbed his temples.

"Should we take the samples now?" he suggested.

* * *

Ichigo was about to snap and bolt out of the room the moment Kenpachi assigned them homework.

"You've got to be kidding me," he said enraged "these formulas are impossible! We haven't even studied this! And you're telling us that we cannot leave until this is done?!"

Kenpachi simply raised an eyebrow at him.

"If you want to join them instead of using your brain just let me know, Kurosaki" he said.

Ichigo scoffed as he looked at Ginjo and Ashido. Since they refused to solve impossible formulas Kenpachi told them to punch each other on the face, until one of them was unconscious, but since neither of them was used to fight, they were simply throwing random punches and avoiding each other. Ichigo assumed that the only reason why Kenpachi wasn't stopping them was because, in the end, they were going to exhaust each other and, by tomorrow, their bodies were going to be sore as fuck.

"You're top of the class," Grimmjow said "we can do this! Or do you want us to beat the shit out of each other?!"

That was what Ichigo hated the most about the whole assignment, the fact that he had to work with Grimmjow. His presence was awkward enough, he was seriously starting to believe that God was punishing him for kissing Rukia. Little did he know that Grimmjow was thinking the same, the blue haired teenager also believed that messing up with a novice was the reason of why he was in this whole predicament.

"Let's do it" Ichigo said.

"You can use your cellphones," Kenpachi said while taking a seat on the teacher's desk casually "although it won't help much."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and took out his cellphone. he was about to look for answers on the internet when a Twitter notification caught his attention, it was from the prior day but he sucked at keeping track of his social media, frowning he opened it and his eyes widened.

_**Ruk14 has started following you! **_

He checked her profile and smiled at the picture, she had taken it on the picnic over the weekend, something about seeing Rukia eating strawberries made him quite proud.

"She's going to be the death of me…" Ichigo muttered.

Deciding that he didn't have anything else to do, and thinking that he didn't open twitter for no reason at all, he followed Rukia back and decided to tweet something.

"Aren't you going to mention her?" Grimmjow asked, he had obviously been watching Ichigo's phone the whole time.

"She'll figure out is for her" Ichigo said simply.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and, together, they started to work on the formulas.

* * *

"You know," Yoruichi said casually as Rukia extended her arm so Isshin could take the blood sample "I think I know why you're afraid of needles."

"Really?" Rukia asked while trying not to think about how much the little pinch was going to hurt, unfortunately it wasn't working.

Yoruichi was leaning against a wall observing the whole thing, while Riruka was seated next to Rukia while holding her free hand.

"Yeah," Yoruichi said with a smirk "you're a novice so you have never been penetrated."

Rukia gaped and looked at Yoruichi while blushing madly.

"Uh?!" Rukia asked completely embarrassed.

"Oh!" Riruka said while swinging her legs playfully "it makes sense!"

Yoruichi smiled wider.

"I cannot compare needles to a penis, they are way too different" the dark skinned woman continued "but once they come in and out everything's over so there's no need to make a fuss about them."

"I..." Rukia said while focusing on Yoruichi "I don't think this conversation is..."

"Decent?" Riruka suggested while enjoying Rukia's blushing face "now that I think about it, did you have the talk at the convent? Because if you didn't..."

"I don't think I need it!" Rukia said quickly.

"Of course you do!" Yoruichi said and Rukia couldn't stop staring at her, how could she talk so casually about sex?! "Unless you want to be a novice forever, but considering how much sexual tension you and..."

"Don't!" Rukia gasped, she knew she was going to mention Ichigo and his father was right in front of them, why was Yoruichi talking about this now?! Why was Riruka supporting her?!

"I mean, I would like for you to wait at least until college of course," Yoruichi continued "you're way too young and..."

"Okay, it's done" Isshin said happily and Rukia looked at the blood samples, he had taken three and she didn't even notice.

"Uh?!" Rukia asked even more confused, when did he take them?!

"Oh, it worked" Yoruichi said with a smirk "I knew that distracting you was the key! Now we can go and eat something, I'm starving."

Rukia couldn't help it so she laughed, she was really glad to have Riruka and Yoruichi in her life.

* * *

"Someone looks chirpy" Byakuya commented while stepping into the garden.

His grandfather was enjoying the sun and the breeze, it had been a while since Byakuya had seen him so relaxed. He believed that it was going to be impossible to obtain this level of serenity unless he had Rukia by his side, so what caused the change? There hadn't been any new business alliances lately and, more importantly, there hadn't been any news about Rukia's whereabouts.

"Is it a sin to be happy?" Ginrei asked casually while looking at his grandson.

"Does this have something to do with how you keep forgiving Kurosaki Ichigo for his mistakes?" Byakuya questioned.

"Oh, don't be like that" Ginrei chuckled "he was standing up for one of his classmates, you used to do the same when you were younger."

Byakuya scoffed at being compared to Ichigo.

"The preparations for the convention are over," Byakuya commented to change the topic "the ticket is already purchased, it was worth a fortune."

Ginrei raised an eyebrow.

"You? The heir of a multimillionaire company complaining about the price of a ticket?" he asked.

Byakuya sighed.

"We both know that money is not the problem," he explained "the problem is the amount of resources we're wasting just to lure her out of her hideout."

"I didn't expect less from her," Ginrei said proudly "she's your daughter, after all."

"It does not matter," Byakuya said while walking back towards the mansion "everything will be over in that convention, catching her there will be a child's play."

Ginrei waited until Byakuya was out of earshot to sigh heavily.

"You're an idiot, Byakuya" he muttered as he wondered what kind of hell Rukia would prepare for him at the Chappy convention.

* * *

"So," Yoruichi said as the waiter served Rukia and Riruka their ice cream "are you both going to share your plans for the convention with me?"

After saying goodbye to Isshin Yoruichi decided to take them somewhere nice to have a chat, she had decided to keep an eye on Rukia and, apparently, that included her best friend. Yoruichi had to admit that the pink haired girl seemed to have her goddaughter's back and that was enough, she was glad that Rukia had found a reliable _female_ friend.

Rukia nodded.

"Yeah," she said "in fact we were going to ask for your help."

"Count me in!" Yoruichi smirked.

"But first…" Riruka said "we have to focus on the beach party, you've never gone to one, right?"

"Beach party?" Yoruichi questioned.

Both girls smiled at her and started to tell her all about Kaien's beach party, how the other girls were going and how even the other school had a beach party that same weekend. Well, Kukaku had mentioned how Kaien's parties were a handful for her but also fun.

"Sounds like a blast," Yoruichi commented "Kukaku's beach property is gorgeous, you'll both love it."

"Kukaku?" Rukia asked.

"Kaien's older sister," Yoruichi explained "one of my best friends."

"It's a small world" Rukia exclaimed as her cellphone vibrated "oh! Ichigo followed me back on twitter!"

Yoruichi smiled slightly at how her eyes shone at the mention of Ichigo.

"And this tweet is definitely for you," Riruka commented while smirking "you should answer him."

Rukia eyed her strawberry ice cream as an idea crossed her mind.

"Yoruichi," she said smiling and passing her cellphone to her "can you take a picture, please?"

"Oh, girl" Yoruichi said "who would've said that a novice could be such a flirt?"

Rukia blushed and Yoruichi took the picture, she observed how she answered the tweet and sighed.

_Hisana,_ Yoruichi thought happily _this is definitely your daughter._

* * *

"Aren't you like, worried about your cousin?" Menoly asked Loly, they were at Senna's house, it was a tradition for them to do homework together and after hearing how Sung-sun might lose her job they wanted to talk about it.

Loly shrugged.

"Sort of," she admitted frowning "but I tried to call her today in the morning, she didn't answer."

"Hopefully she'll be okay," Nel said as she checked twitter, she wasn't that interested in the whole mess. She was more worried about Senna, she was sure that Kurosaki Isshin wasn't going to let go easily of the whole thing.

"Something interesting on social media?" Senna asked her "shouldn't we be doing homework? I need to distract myself!"

Menoly chuckled.

"You should try to enjoy your last days as a free teenage girl," she told Senna "once Doctor Kurosaki calls your parents you'll be grounded for life!"

"Oh my God! Shut up! I've been trying not to think about it but…"

"Oh my God!" Nel exclaimed, interrupted Senna, her mouth dropped open in shock. She wasn't even able to say anything as she showed her friends her twitter.

**IKurosaki15:** _"I hope bunnies are not having a hard time with needles… they tend to be cry babies sometimes."_

"What the fuck is he talking about?" Senna asked confused "is he tweeting drunk?"

She couldn't see Ichigo's tweets since he blocked her from everywhere, still she had to admit that his interactions in social media were close to none, apparently he didn't have time for twitter, Instagram and he didn't even have a Facebook.

"Look who answered him" Nel told her and Senna did so.

**Ruk14:** _"Bunnies do not have time to worry about needles, they rather go around eating strawberries."_

Senna gasped as she observed the picture that came along with the tweet. Rukia was eating strawberry ice cream, she was smiling at whoever had taken the picture and, much to Senna's surprise, Riruka was on the picture too and she was laughing alongside Rukia while putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Do you want to know what's worst?" Senna asked breathlessly.

"That your former best friend replaced you?" Nel asked curiously, she didn't know if Senna still had something against Riruka.

"That Ichigo liked her tweet" Senna said as jealousy filled her.

"I bet he even saved the picture" Nel said.

Senna screeched as she threw a pillow against the wall.

"Where does her luck come from?! Why does the whole family love her?! And what the fuck is Riruka doing with her?!"

Nel sighed.

"Calm down," she said "why don't we ask her directly?"

Senna scoffed.

"How?" she asked.

"The beach party," Nel suggested "she might go and, perhaps, Riruka will go with her."

Senna smiled.

"Well," she said "I do have a pending conversation with Rukia and I cannot wait to see Riruka again."

Menoly and Loly exchanged mean smiles.

"Two against four?" Nel asked smirking "sounds like fun to me."

* * *

**Next chapter, BEACH PARTY! Are things going to get heated there? Of course! So, wait for it! **

**The reviews are my fuel to keep writing so tell me, what do you expect to see at the beach party? What do you want to see? If, I reach he reviews I aim for, I might gift a scene to one of you (not something too specific of course, the whole story is already planned out). **

**Now, I want to thank the reviewers!**

**Bleach power: Thank you so much for your review! It made me extremely happy! And thank you so much for reading the prequel, it makes me happy to write for people like you who always leave me reviews! Did you like this chapter? Let me know, okay? Kisses! **

**Natsumivat: La agresividad que le falta a Rukia estamos a punto de verla, lo prometo! Estoy de acuerdo contigo, Byakuya sería un muy buen Yakuza. ¡Gracias por tus comentarios en la precuela! Planeo poner spoilers ahí, así que espero que la sigas leyendo. Déjame saber si te gusto este capítulo ¡besos!**

**Jobananasan: Your reviews give me life! I cannot wait to read what you think about this chapter! While I understand your worries, trust me, Rukia is a force to be reckoned with! I cannot wait for you to read the chapters to come! And yes, we'll see more characters in the next chapter! Thank you for your review! I'll be waiting for your opinions, okay?! Take care! **

**Achalida: oh no! No love triangles here, but drama? For sure! Thank you so much for your review! Did you like this chapter? Let me know, okay?! Kisses and take care! **

**reesen555: Thank you! I'm glad you like it! Let me know if you liked this chapter too, okay?! Kisses! **

**RukiYuki: I missed you too! Thank you for your reviews! They always make me smile! Did you like this chapter?! What do you think?! Let me know, take care! **

**Ichirukitrash4ever: We'll see more of Grimmjow! I promise! I agree, Rukia deserves more freedom so don't worry, she'll enjoy more! I plan to make the beach party really wild! Let me know if you liked this chapter, okay? I cannot wait to read your review! Take care, kisses! **

**Brunna Aprigio d: Thank you! It's an honor that you like my stories so much! Did you like this chapter?! Let me know, I'll be waiting for more of your reviews! Kisses! **

**Mhysamoon: I'm trying to update faster, okay?! I loved your review and don't worry, more heated scenes are about to come! I mean, they are all going to the beach ;)! Let me know if you liked this chapter, okay?! Kisses! **

**If I didn't mention you let me know so I can thank you properly.**

**Pd. I apologize for my grammar mistakes. **


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